Here is an excellent talk on creativity, very enjoyable and full of little nuggets of gold.
The speaker is a widely successful author, Elizabeth Gilbert. She talks about how most creators have creeping self-doubts, moments of intense enthusiasm followed by intense guilt and fear, and how most of the great creative minds verged on mental imbalance – in many cases ending up committing suicide.
She goes on to explain that in past civilizations, a person could not BE a genius…he could only HAVE a genius. An artist was perceived as a channel from greater beings, his art a mere expression of a universal spirit bigger than himself. Using this as a frame of reference can help calm down doubts and fears and lead to better, easier ways to be inspired. One of them is simply to “show up” in front of your notepad/screen/drawing board and gently ASK the greater forces around you (or God or Buddha or whatever you want to call it) to please help and send you the ideas you need.
I also LOVED how she points out the automatic fear-based reactions you can get from most people. She experienced them:
Before success:
…with everyone saying that writing was a crazy idea, she would spend a lifetime honing her craft and fail miserably and die broke and alone…
After success:
…with everyone saying her best work was behind her and she must feel terrible knowing nothing she will ever write could possibly top it…
Gotta love it!