[Shaun J. Russell]

Fascinating article, Janice. Thanks for that. I'm no genius, but most of this resonates with me regardless. I discovered about a year or so ago that if I was struggling to come up with a thesis, or needed to find "inspiration" for something, or even just needed to sort through stuff that was proving to be difficult, the best remedy was what I eventually dubbed as a "thinkrest." Just lying down with my eyes closed -- not with the intention of napping, but simply to let my mind wander -- usually prompted the creative surge I needed. The problem is always hanging on to that surge just long enough to put it to use.

I also find it interesting (though not wholly unsurprising) that many, if not most creative types have mental illness in their families. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of 'Spherians are in the same boat. As someone with close relatives who have (or had) clinical depression, agoraphobia, and paranoid schizophrenia, I certainly am...