Genetic: I can't see why ideas can't incubate on a piece of paper. I would certainly forget everything I thought of if I didn't write it down.

I do have to admit, everytime I write poetry it is all done in my head first. But poetry happens to me once every couple of months, and inspiration will come into my mind at places like work or the bus and I don't have a chance to write those things down. I never actively try to write poetry.

I guess a lot of thought before hand goes into creating something great. But creation is still more work than it is ideas (IMO). I love to draw, and I believe drawing is 10% skill and 90% persistence, because when I draw SO MUCH TIME is spent on revising and improving. I tell people that I am not as talented as my drawings might make them think I am, because I work and work and work on them. It is SO much work. Also, when I have tried writing a novel, most of my ideas were spurred by the process of writing it, so being creative made me more creative. I knew that I was going to have to rewrite the story, but writing helped me think of a better one.

I am enjoying this conversation.