Where do ideas come from?
If you’re a writer, then someone has probably asked you this question. Likewise, if you’re a writer, you probably already have some notion as to the answer. As a frequently asked question, this one has had a strange dichotomy in my life — it is the question most frequently asked by non-artists and it is asked almost not at all by budding young creatives.
Why is it such a mystery to the masses? I can only conclude that many people suffer from blocked creativity, because I refuse to accept the idea that a human being is not creative. This has caused some differences of opinions with my husband, who is a wonderfully creative engineer. He gets this gleam in his eye when he thinks of a new way of doing something or of a new robot he could design. (I’m still hoping for one that cleans the bathroom.)
Creativity doesn’t manifest the same way in all people. There’s us artsy-craftsy types, but anyone who pays attention to the world around him and makes something of that input is creative. That’s what human creativity is — making something out of something else. Only divine creativity involves making something out of nothing.
So where to my ideas come from? Everywhere. They are the whole of the universe as I experience it, drawn in and shaped by my unique self. All I have to do is get out of the way.