[Janel Maples]

Patricia,

I do not have any deep words of wisdom for you just something that fosters creativity for me. When someone else's art work catches my attention, I'm done. I get all excited and happy.

When I get this feeling I go to my studio, play a CD I enjoy, and work on something. It is only under these conditions that I am able to enter that place where, when I come out of it, I don't remember working on certain portions of my project (and my children say they caught me dancing when I stepped back to take a look. ) In my opinion, my best stuff comes from me when I am there.

My best stuff comes when I am happy.

I don't know if this is the same for others; but for me, the quality of my workmanship is directly related to how I feel. It is not possible for me to enter that place or produce something I like if I am preoccupied with other stuff. Just make sure you properly identify what that other stuff is otherwise it may surface again at a later date. I've been bit with that one more than once. I have to remind myself to answer the question "What is the root issue here?" only then can I be in control of my own happiness.

Anyway, my simple, and I like to keep things that way, suggestion is if you take the time to do something for yourself that makes you happy, and most importantly allow yourself to enjoy it, then maybe you won't be preoccupied with worrying about it so much and you will give yourself a better chance at getting where you want to be.

Good luck.