creativity – Laughing Medicine Woman

February 21, 2012February 22, 2012

Creative Time Management

Some might say time management, a distinctly left-brained activity, bears no resemblance to the creative process – well known for its decidedly right-brained absence of logic. Some might say, in fact, that all one requires to effectively manage time are three simple rules:

Break large projects into smaller increments. Make those increments small enough that each one can be completed in a block of time perceived as “manageable.”
Build a daily schedule that accounts for the completion of the smaller increments. Identify through an understanding of personal rhythm which parts of the day are best for mental focus and which for physical activity. Fill blocks of time accordingly.
Once the schedule is made – stay on it. Procrastination is the destroyer of time management.

Simple logic that – when applied – results in productivity, right? Continue reading “Creative Time Management”

February 13, 2012February 15, 2012

When Creative Process Becomes Habit Magic Happens

Many of us think of creativity as that inspired moment when the idea is born…or the shift in understanding that opens a whole new paradigm of thought. We tend to describe the creative process as a process that bursts into intriguing possibilities, over and over again. Many of us who value creativity reach continually for that excited buzz that comes with the feeling of touching an expanded viewpoint.

For me, the inspired concepts and exciting new configurations do happen…but they are part of the creative process – not the entirety of it. In truth, if the new idea was the only goal of the creative process, nothing would be brought to fruition. This is where our creative habits come into play. The behaviors we take on as a result of following through on inspired ideas become the invocations, if you will, that define the characters we play in the movie called “Life” (see: Stars In Our Own Movie.) Continue reading “When Creative Process Becomes Habit Magic Happens”

February 3, 2012February 4, 2012

Creative Process – Recipes for Life

Forest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” He meant, I think, you can never know what you’ll get until you take a bite of it. For me, Life is more like a cookbook. And the key is to find the recipe that uses the ingredients we have to create the result we desire to eat.

Some people treat recipes like chemistry projects. They measure carefully and follow procedures methodically, looking for a precision that can be reproduced reliably. Some people read cookbooks for ideas and then create spontaneously from the the inspiration they got. Some are interested in food creation only to the extent that they can open a can or a box and add water. All of us have our own unique relationship with cookbooks and the recipes within. For me, recipes are a side-bar, a reference point, to ground my creative exploration. Because – as with life – I only believe what I experience first hand.

Such is the power of the creative process – it is always a first hand experience. Continue reading “Creative Process – Recipes for Life”

January 27, 2012January 28, 2012

Creative Process and Perfection?

In the creative process, I think, there is no such thing as perfection. There are only perfect bridges.

Think about it. Have you ever had an idea – something that excited your interest and passion – only to discover that, when it came to execute, you couldn’t quite get a handle on how to do it? And the uncertainty resulted in non-action as well as a small sense of failure before you got well into it?

It’s happened to me plenty of times – that’s why I can describe it so easily. At a certain point, I began to ask myself, “Why? What was the internal pattern within myself that continually halted my creative process in its early stages?” And this I discovered: Continue reading “Creative Process and Perfection?”

January 11, 2012January 12, 2012

Creativity as Prayer – Law of Attraction

In our culture, people comment, “He’s a creative type”. As though it’s an attribute like intellectual or witty. I have come to the conclusion that to be alive is to be creative. From the moment conscious awareness begins, we are translating the world around us, interpreting experience and birthing ideas to explore through our senses. To live, in other words, is to create. Instead of classifying a person as a type who is creative, I am more inclined to say, “This is a person who is in touch with their creative nature.”

Creative nature. What is that?

I envision the creative nature as the conduit between Source and personality. Creative nature facilitates the communion and flow of Source’s inspired awareness. Creative nature opens the mind and heart to new possibilities and nurtures receptivity. When the conduit of creative nature flourishes, the personality basks in the joy of each moment as each moment brings insight and curiosity and interest and delight to the experience at hand. Creative nature encourages us to reach and explore and discover. When the conduit is connected and open to the flow of Source.

The conduit of creative nature flows in both directions. Continue reading “Creativity as Prayer – Law of Attraction”