Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity and the Muse.

She didn't mention the other archetype of a creative person. The person who's had a hard life; troubled childhood etcetera and their experience has fed and coloured their work. I think I'm a product of the life I've been through; the sadness I've endured and happiness I've enjoyed; the people I've met and places I've known so I can't really subscribe to the idea of creativity coming either from me alone or from some divine/daemonic source. I think experience and my environment are the only things which I'm a conduit for. And I think of my creative process as more like the life of a primitive hunter/gatherer. I have to go out and actively find ideas; I have to fight to stay alive. The times when something will just come to me are very rare. Maybe I don't have the right fairies on my side or I'm just not smart enough. To each their own.

I really really enjoyed this talk up until the point where Elizabeth mentions Tom Waits, then i absolutely loved it! Very inspiring. Thanks for posting! Steve