The silence of the creative desert

That blank page, the days when good ideas are as rare as water in a desert

Where do so called creative ideas come from? A flash of genuis plucked out from thin air, or an unconcious recycling of something seen or heard in the past? I have no idea except that when certain concepts (objectives) share the same mindspace as colours, styles, soundbites or other visual and literary elements, something can happen to blend them, when I stir them around like an ingredients list for a cake. Then using tried and tested recipe formats a germ of an idea forms and can with the heat of hard thinking, trying and testing and varying the blend of flavours - a complete 'cake' arrives which when iced (presented) properly can be served to be used and sometimes acknowledged as a creative piece.