Hi @simivalleyjeff53, I know exactly what you are talking about when you mention Maslow's hierarchy of needs! You are right, it is hard to get past fear and access our creative power!
The thing we need to remind ourselves of is for most of us in the western world, while the lower three levels may not be as good as we wish them to be, we are still fed,clothed, and sheltered in the present moment. We can make the conscious choice to focus on those higher order needs really no matter where we are, according to Victor Frankl in his book Man's search for meaning.
This is where the practice of mindfulness and Stoicism come into play. I write a lot about these subjects on my blog, but here are the three basic concepts I teach people, what I call the Three Pillars (article forthcoming).
1st If we cannot control something let it go. Focus our time and energy ONLY on those things we have direct control of.
2nd Happiness is RIGHT NOW, not in some distant future of primordial past. Be grateful for what you have now, and keep your thoughts centered in the present moment.
3rd We create our lives by what we choose to focus on, so focus wisely. If you want more drama and hassle in your life...obsess about them and more negative energy will definitely come into your life. If you focus on beauty and love and life-giving things, the universe will also bring more positive energies into your life. You get more of what you focus on, the law of positive attraction.