“I did not discover relativity by rational thinking alone.” – Albert Einstein
Image courtesy of Alicepopkorn
Creativity is the vehicle by which we achieve much in life. We are often creative when we resolve business negotiations, when we solve problems, when we somehow organize a group of friends to all meet together for a night out, when we cook a meal and when we experience new spiritual insights. Creativity can be a great source of joy for us. It opens up new possibilities and allows us to make sudden leaps in many different aspects of our lives.
Creativity extends far beyond limited disciplines such as the fine arts of drawing, painting, sculpting, literature and music. To limit one’s notion of creativity would in itself be decidedly uncreative. The scope of creative activity is practically infinite.
What is Creativity?
Creativity can be defined as the discovery of new meaning or a new context of thinking. Notice how this definition is purely non-material. Creativity is something that happens within consciousness and only afterwards does the product of creativity eventually become manifest in material reality. As conscious human beings we are each potentially powerful forces of creation.
Creativity usually finds expression in a product. There are two key modes of creative expression. The more commonly recognized mode is outer creativity. Examples of outer creativity are art, music, literature, and new laws of science. The less commonly recognized mode of creative expression is inner creativity. It is also much more subtle. Examples include a happier and more holistic way of being, the transformation of the contexts in which we live, becoming more loving in one’s life and placing less conditions upon that love.
Thus creativity is immensely important in the process of further self-development. For example the very name of a particular form of Buddhist meditation is Insight Meditation. The aim of this type of meditation is to uncover insights into the nature of reality. The resultant “Aha!” moments of inner creativity are an immensely powerful impetus for personal growth and development.
What is the Creative Process?
Amit Goswami, in his fantastic book – The Visionary Window: A Quantum Physicist’s Guide to Enlightenment – shares some very interesting thoughts on the nature of creativity. Goswami is a theoretical nuclear physicist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon. He appeared in the popular movie What the Bleep Do We Know?
In his book Goswami explains that all creativity occurs in a process of four stages. First is preparation. This may include gathering all available data regarding a particular issue. Second is incubation or unconscious processing. This allows the unconscious to process thoughts without collapsing them. That is, allowing thoughts to spread in possibility and thus give one many more options from which to choose.
Third is the moment of insight, or the “Aha!” experience. This represents a discontinuous quantum leap in thought, the collapse of the quantum wave function to a creative solution when consciousness selects from among the propagated possibilities. The final stage is manifestation. The new creative insight is expressed in the lived life.
How Can We Become More Creative?
As I mentioned at the beginning creativity is a powerful force in our lives. It is through creativity that we can achieve what it is we want in life. However, there will always be roadblocks on the path to our dreams. If we do not posses the necessary persistence to avoid despair we will give up. We will fail to take the time to allow our unconscious to process possible solutions to the roadblocks.
This is important because quantum physics tells us that it is consciousness that will collapse any single solution. The more time we give ourselves to allow possibilities to propagate the further along the possible paths of solution our unconscious can travel. The further our unconscious travels the more creatively discontinuous the solution. To be able to do this we need to be both totally committed to our dreams and calm.
Calmness allows for the exercise of free will to select from the multitude of possibilities in the quantum wave of pure potential. In calmness there is a slowing down and a shifting of consciousness away from immediate local signals. This allows our consciousness to expand and the gap between thought and action increases. A freer exercise of choice and thus creativity becomes possible.
Meditation is one way we can deepen our sense of calmness and openness to life. A consistent meditation practice will begin to manifest many positive effects in day-to-day life. During meditation practice sessions one regularly enters into states of deep calm. In this way we can learn to remain calm in the face of day-to-day stresses outside of our meditation practice.
Openness is the image of Heaven.
Calm is the image of earth.
When open, one accepts all.
When calm, one perceives all.
When open, one can accept people.
When calm, one can deal with events.
When openness and calm are practiced for a long time,
Our heart is clear.
Open acceptance and calm is how Sages achieved,
The Tao of Heaven and Earth.
- The Book of Balance & Harmony, Li Tao-ch’un, 12th century
What are your thoughts on creativity? Please share them in the comments below.
This article was written by Stephen Cox. Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing.
I feel I’m most creative at my lowest point. I write and play songs and I feel when I’m depressed, I’ve written some of my best songs. For some reason, sorrow has always fueled my creativity.
Not to say that I’m not creative otherwise, I just feel like some of my most creative creations were a result of pathos.
“…totally committed to our dreams and calm.”
I’m ready to be totally committed, and I’ve found that recently, when I calm myself and take a step back and take a look at what I’m doing, I can achieve more.
Thanks for this insightful post.
I believe that creativity is the key to success in our current economy because we have computers, calculators, computer software, the Internet and many tools that help us to get things done or to learn new knowledge. The differentiating factor for human capital in the future will be how a person can synthesize all the information and knowledge and produce something new, innovative or unique. It can be a product, an idea, a service, a new way of doing things, or anything for that matter. I am trying to learn how to be more creative by doing things differently, looking at things from different perspectives, admiring artists and humans with creative talent and their works. As I am a rather logical person I would like to see if I can learn to be more creative. Thanks for the good post.
Here is another technique I’m using — Three pages of longhand writing about anything: “I don’t like the way Fred talked to me at the office”; “I need to get the car checked”; “I forgot to buy kitty litter.”
They don’t look like they have anything to do with creativity, but in fact, as I put these worries, which are sort of a daily soundtrack for most of us, down on the page, I am suddenly much more alert, aware, focused and available to the moment. And I get to see that there are many creative choices. As you write those pages, new ideas begin to walk in.
I read anything and everything that interests me. Discerning the true and the twisted along the way. Learned two languages (three if you include my forgotten Latin) and lived abroad.
I run my own business and am a single parent. I’ve been constantly confronted with obstacles. I put myself on a permenant learning program thinking I would have to be three times better at what I did in order to overcome my natural disadvantages.
The most important aspect of creativity and problem solving is having absolute confidence that a solution will emerge…and it has, time and time again.
God gave me the intelligence and capability to overcome and I trust Him. So I do my due diligence and stuff my head to the full position to the point that it feels like I have no more room and can’t mmove the info to reorganize.
When I pray, I give over to God including everything in my head, emptying it to make room for Him and contemplate his Word.
In my opinion, going to church and praying is like meditation, it just focuses the meditation on God and His Word. So I pray and get the same results.
Prayer has two steps. The first is a repetition to strip away the layers of distraction. Each repetition takes you deeper into the meaning of the prayer, increasing your focus. The second part is contemplation and continuous shedding of the willfulness of sin that prevents full union. It is a process of emptying to allow God in until He reigns within your mind and heart.
I am no theologian. If I had two life times, I’d spend more time to express this better. This in no way reflects a belief in my own perfection but I hope merely conveys that given this process, any level of intelligence can reach the limits of the talents God gave them and in that process become self-reliant through their own problem solving.
Creativity can come at any time. When you find yourself at your inner peace and all is still it allows you to calm down, relax and take a step back. By doing this you can have creative juices flowing.
I think most of us are under the illusion that we lack creativity. I’m a very linear thinker and used push all thoughts of creativity to the back burner. I’ve come to understand that we humans cannot, not be creative. And if we acknowledge it, it can be a tool for self-discovery and problem solving.
When someone comments they are not creative, I reply, “Can you doodle?”
I’m at my most creative while walking the dog. I’m usually walking for 30 – 45 minutes, twice a day. During that time my mind wanders or my imagination goes wild! What I need to do is bring a recorder of some type so that I can recall my imaginings!
Thanks for the great article.
The basic technique works for me. First you need to have enough data aquired in your mental database, then in a random moment of relaxation, meditation or even exercise, there’ll be an “AHA” insight when the pieces will be magically put together to form a great new idea.
Creativity comes at it’s best when there are no rules to define it.
-Dan Malone-
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[...] How to Unleash Your Creativity | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement – The more time we give ourselves to allow possibilities to propagate the further along the possible paths of solution our unconscious can travel. The further our unconscious travels the more creatively discontinuous the solution. To be able to do this we need to be both totally committed to our dreams and calm. [...]
This post is really creative. I am saying it creative because it actually helps you to raise your creativity. And raising anyone’s creativity is not an easy job.