Sarah – I’m beginning to see that maybe now is when we take our passion into our own hands…When you’re in school, you can sign up for lessons or courses that will essentially guide you, that lights that fire underneath you and keeps your creativity aflame. But then you’re dropped into the real world after graduation and you don’t have the luxury of professors to act as mentors (and we had some great ones, didn’t we?). I think this is the challenge to yourself — if you want that passion back, you have to work hard and find it. Begin with small steps, find your own mentors, and open yourself up to the idea. It’s so incredibly hard to find this balance — this difficulty for myself is what sparked this post in the first place — but I’m also beginning to see that passion is a part of you, and if you create the smallest spark again, some pretty wonderful things can begin to happen.

Go literal with lighting the candle — you said it set the creative mood for you before. If it works, keep it going! And have faith in yourself and your abilities. You’re great. Love, Susan

Finally, as a stay-at-home mom, I feel that I can put my passion & creativity into raising my beautiful daughter and have time (sort of!) to pour more creativity into side projects, like my website. I know it’s a luxury not everyone can afford (although we’re hardly living luxuriously) it has been my solution to the problem.

lolasmum – As much of a comfort as it is to realize I’m not alone, I hate to hear that anyone can relate to posts such as these for what it brought for you. It looks like things have turned out for the best for you, though, and I’m so thrilled to see that. I think that there is such a divide between what our passions are, what intuition says, and what is practical, or what outside forces might dictate. And it’s tough to find that balance, to get back to that passion that might be so much a part of you.

It certainly looks as if you’re getting there, and I hope that I can learn from your example. Thanks so much for the comment, and best wishes! – Susan

But there are other nights. Nights when everything flows, when the ideas come fast & furious, when that magic happens and you remember why you’re doing it in the first place.

Use the good nights to deal with the bad ones. When you just can’t handle forcing those neurons to fire, remind yourself that there will be other nights, and they will be amazing.

Kristin – Thanks so much for your comment. You say “some nights you’re overflowing with creativity until you sit down to do something and it all vanishes…” EXACTLY. Which is why, when I find that creativity, I try so very hard to hang onto it, because I don’t know when it will fade.

Thanks so much for your comments and inspiration, and best of luck to you! – Susan