Duh.

Forgive the obvious nature of this simple revelation, but I've just discovered the "secret" to my own personal success. If you gain from this, great... hope it sends off fireworks in your day too.
I work (design and write) in an advertising agency. A positition that is related to almost entirely on my creative ability. Always knew it's what I wanted to do professionally.
I used to think that to be a great success I had to be brilliant at my work (which I love, thankfully) and everything would fall into place. Then I became unhappy with my outside-of-work creativity. I thought perhaps I was using it all up at work and leaving nothing for play time, so I started trying less at work to see if I could keep some in reserve for fun (the theory made sense without that crucial second thought). Instead, I became unhappy at work as well. So I pulled away even more from 'the office' and dedicated myself to regaining the light on my own terms. Ironically I found it in everything I did EXCEPT my art and writing.
The "secret" was so simple it should be embarassing to admit having found it, impying that it was not known in the first place. My creativity was not the issue, my ability to let it flow was. There is a balance between the need to make a good living, and a need to be in control or one's creative freedom. Since my creativity is tied to my income generation, I lost focus of it. I lost the distiction required to keep business from pleasure, so to speak. I started to equate my creativity at work with MY creativity. Thus I lost the self awareness and subtly began to identify myself through what I do, instead of who I am.
I'm not sure if or how being aware can be the singular cure-all for my recent apathy, but I feel as though some essence within has been recharged.