making beautiful things isn't simply a job - it's a necessity!

Something clearly is bothering you. You sound as knotted about doing creative things as I used to bet about HotBiBabes and relationships. Despiration for inspiration never works. If you need an idea, suggest the creative problem to yourself before you go to sleep, then, the next day, do some relaxing activity you enjoy. A walk in the woods always helped me. The trick is to let go. You are holding on too tight. Treat The Muse like a prospective lover. Woo it and make it feel comfortable around you. Being your friend for these two years has made me realize that an exotic sex life is not as glamorous as it looks and involves some hard work. Well, take my word for it, creativity is the same way.

Well, then sit down with a calculator, a spreadsheet, or a financial program and whatever you use for a day planner, and work out exactly how much resources you can afford to give to the project. If you can't afford *anything* then that is your answer, but usually one can work out some boundaries to your artistic endeavors and thus get permission from yourself.
Dreamwork and meditation can help with getting the creativity, but I fully understand what a time-sucker spirituality can be, so if The Muse and you are already on speaking terms, you don't HAVE to.

For me, simply wanting it is permission enough. Wanting it bad enough to overcome the practical obsticles (or sometimes ethical issues, but those I treat as just another cost, with a finite wieght in the decision making process) is another issue, but not the same as permission is for you I don't think.