Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.
-St. Augustine
We tend to think of inspiration as coming from somewhere outside ourselves, especially from high above. I challenge you to lay foundations of self-knowledge in order to build a tower that will pierce the clouds. The deeper your foundation, the higher you can build. The tower is the connection between the parts of yourself, so you must know your deepest recesses in order to gain the highest and most poignant insights. The goal of the creative person is to help another person connect those parts of himself.
We creatives sense this ability in ourselves to make these connections for others, whether your focus be on physical detail, the beauty of language, emotional depth… The key is to throw aside the ideas of validity your external self has absorbed and delve into the creative core to find your true gift, and then start building.
