In the middle of the night I awaken with a sparkling idea that squeezes every ounce of sleep right out of me. For a few moments I lie unmoving, trying to convince myself that Ill remember it in the morning if I drop off again now. The merciless wisdom of experience shakes me.

Inspiration can be a fickle...

...fleeting little thing who flutters through your dreams, splashes you in the shower and zooms right past you on the motor way; sometimes only just noticeable enough to grasp. I have learnt to whisk her to me when she shows, so I fumble for my pad which has slipped just out of reach. My tired eyes squint as the warm glow of my bedside lamp seems more like a cruel and hostile search light. Still, I feel that familiar, whole-body buzz that accompanies a good idea and begin to let a scrawled little stream flow onto the pages.

Oh, the bliss of night time inspiration!

Since then, a few weeks have passed and the gurgling stream has somewhat dried up in the heat of concentrated work on a new course, the next CD and what seem like thousands of other incidentals. Of course Ive read all the books about how to be creative even when your head is on fire and the waters freezing your feet in their wellies. Ive heard many an inspiring tale of real writers who manage to get up an hour earlier every morning and create wonderful works of art in less than a fortnight.

But, I ask myself...

...do these people have children to care for, houses to clean, gardens to tend and bills to pay? Do they have someone to share chores with and the most urgent question of all how in heavens name do they do it?

Whats the trick to maintaining the creative flow, as well as navigating through the relentless mountain stream of life? How much faster do I have to swim to catch up with my raft?

And suddenly I remembered...

...from carefree childhood holidays floating, being carried along, and going with the flow. Keeping still enough to allow the water to carry me. I could do that very well when I was young. Even the faster streams or the waves of the ocean I could ride without a board - just by knowing when to let go and where to concentrate. Sometimes only for a few short lengths, but never without the thrill and carefree joy of being washed along.

I hardly need to think much further to know that this is the answer to finding inspiration and maintaining my creative flow and maybe yours too? Often, we make the mistake of thinking we need to work harder, faster and longer still. When it comes to creativity, its the child-like enthusiasm, the care-free yet single-minded concentration and the willingness to set our imagination free that does the trick.

So, how do we retain our productive flow amid the incessant hurdles of waiting tasks, ticking clocks and lifes responsibilities.

The dancers danced and the pianists played

The one thing all the great artists had in common was that they pampered their passions. If they enjoyed walking, they would do so for hours. The dancers danced, pianists played and gardeners planted. They knew of the importance of stepping out of the rat race and taking time to follow their bliss. They knew that this fuelled their creative fires and gave them the endurance to continue on when the stream turned into a trickle.

Enjoy the Thrill

So, I suggest you take inspiration from the Inspired Ones of the past and give yourself some good quality, guilt-free time out to do what will give you energy, motivation and focus. Then enjoy the thrill of going with that creative flow again.