Creativity - how does it happen for you?

I'm fascinated (and jealous) of truly creative people.  That's why I love to follow so many blogs - the creativity and inspiration out there is just incredible. 

I get in a crafty mood from time to time - especially in the winter months when we spend more time at home.  I wouldn't classify myself as creative but every once in awhile I'll get a little spurt of creative energy. 

Sheet music lampshade.

This weekend I was baffled by how creativity happens for me.  I'm always buying things that I think might turn into a project someday.  I bought a neat cabinet door from a Habitat store months ago.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it.  I've seen that cabinet door in the garage many times but never paid any attention to it.  So, I see the cabinet door this weekend and suddenly I just had to do something with it - like RIGHT THEN. (At this point I'm hoping that someone out there is saying "yes, that happens to me too!")

So the next thing I know I'm drilling holes, painting, staining, sanding, stenciling and hot gluing.  Hubby walks by and says, "oh, when did you decide to do that?"  And I respond "um, I didn't decide anything - it just came to me and I HAD to do it."  It's not as if I was looking for a project.  I didn't walk out in the garage out of boredom and hope that something jumped out at me.

Discarded cabinet door turned artsy organizer.

This isn't about my end-result - because really it's nothing special - but more about the creative process.  What is it that sparks our creativity - time, energy, other creative people?  Can we foster our creativity - allow it to happen more often?  I'm dying to see what my creative blog friends have to say about this!