Inspiration and creativity go hand in hand. Once you experience one, the other will follow. There's an exercise that one of my teachers in college did with each semester's class. She gave us a blank piece of paper and a crayon and said, "Draw a flower". So we did. Mostly, all the flowers were the same. A circle surrounded by five petals (daisy), or half of a broken egg (tulip), and we laughed when we saw the similarities of our drawings. But THEN, she turned the lights down and showed us wall-sized full-color images of poppy fields, and close-ups of elegant calla lilies, and tall sunflowers stretching toward the sky. You could almost feel the sunshine on your face and hear the birds singing from nearby trees and the coolness of springtime grass underneath your bare feet... Then, she turned the lights on, handed us another sheet of paper and said, "Draw a flower". Oh, and this time, completely immersed as we were, draw flowers we did! Each of us felt (and drew!) like our names were Rembrandt. Why? Because we were inspired. If I'm to write about creativity-and i am, I have to begin with inspiration-so I will. To me, inspiration is an unexpectedly warm day. Or the song of a cardinal. Or the playfulness of my pups. Or a visit with one of my sons. Or a favorite song. Or the dimples in the cheeks of my grandsons. Or one of a hundred of other happenings. I look for inspiration every day. I need it. I long for it. And I use it. And creativity follows...