Program Topics
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
– Maya Angelou
The words creativity, creation, and creature all come from the same ancient Sanskrit root word “crea” (pronounced “Kriya”) which means “internal action”. Creativity is not just an additional dimension of life; it is central to the very process of creation. As much as our reality is shaped by the external world, it is equally shaped by our internal creative process.
We call ourselves creatures because we are a product of this internal creative process. The creative energy of existence that is shaping our reality is present within us. By learning how to tap into this internal creative energy, we can totally transform our lives from a boring and monotonous exercise into a joyful and exciting adventure.
Creativity is the true expression of an individual. One of the biggest quests of life is to find a way to express our internal creative energy. Since creativity is central to the very purpose of our lives, we cannot look at it as an optional dimension of life. It is plain and simple; if we are not creative, we are not living. If we take creativity out of the picture, life simply becomes a monotonous exercise in survival.
Creativity is what gives purpose, direction and motivation for our daily actions. Creativity also completes our human journey by allowing us to pass on our individual creative spark to the future generation before the body perishes.
Apart from its existential purpose, creativity has practical implications. In the over-populated, highly-stimulated and chaotic world, creativity can help us to stand out from the crowd. As we move away from an industrial society to a more creative society, the most valuable commodity of the human race will be creativity.
Individuals who can apply their minds to solve problems creatively will be valued the most. There is more to creativity than just being unique and different. Creativity, when explored and understood correctly, can become an avenue to experience life in a completely new way.
So, what exactly is creativity and how can we nurture it within us?
Creativity is not an intellectual exercise. Creativity is the ability to tap into one’s unique individual reality to look at life and experiences in a unique way. It is the art of learning how to step away from the constant noise and chaos of the mind to find the inner space of our intuitive intelligence.
The only way to be creative is to learn how to be in the present moment. Ironically, it is our very own constant thinking process that blocks out creativity, a part of our natural being. Thinking is simply a process of ruminating on events that have already happened, so using the mind produces nothing new.
If you were to ask musicians, painters and writers the question “what is your biggest obstacle to creativity?”, they would tell you that their own mind is the biggest obstacle. Every time they search for a unique expression, the mind readily supplies them with its accumulated knowledge.
The biggest challenge in being creative is learning how to go beyond the constant repetitive nature of the mind. The obstacle for a new tune is always an old tune that is stuck in the mind. Our mind’s natural tendency is to flow along the same set patterns of thought processes, and creativity is a way of forcing the mind to create new patterns. We can do this only when we are fully aware and conscious in the present moment.
Learning how to be alert and active in the present moment is the first step toward a more creative life. Mindfulness is simply being aware of what your body is doing at all times. If you’re walking, pay attention to the walking; if you’re eating, eat with awareness. Don’t let your mind wander away from the present moment.
There is a lot of difference between accumulating information and actually living a creative life. Accumulated information can only help us to deal with similar situations that have happened before. When we are faced with new challenges, accumulated information is useless.
Creativity is the only way to deal with totally new challenges of the present and the future. Nurturing creativity is all about quieting the mind so that we can tap into our inner intuition and intelligence to look at problems and situations from a fresh perspective. A mind that is calm, quiet and composed is a creative mind. A mind that is stressed, anxious and noisy can never be creative.
Art, literature, dance, and music are all creative expressions born out of a process of cultivating inner silence and stillness. Ancient meditation and spiritual schools were once our biggest sources of creativity. Most of these ancient schools are gone now, but they have left behind a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that can help us to nurture and cultivate creativity within us. The systems, processes and techniques they have left behind are our greatest treasures. The only thing that is needed from us is a sincere effort to practice these methods regularly.
Methods & Techniques
Intense Musical Exercise:
Pick a quiet and secluded place for this exercise. Select some loud and intense music, preferably instrumental music. Sit in a comfortable posture, relax your body and listen to the intense music for 5 minutes continuously. Keep your entire focus on the music throughout the exercise. At the end of five minutes, quickly stop the music and sit in absolute silence for 5 minutes.
Keep your entire focus on the silence and become aware of the deep relaxation arising within you. You can alternate between this intense music and deep silence for about 30 minutes. The music will increase the activity levels of your mind and silence will help you to relax deeply. This alternation will induce much deeper states of relaxation than normally possible.
Regular practice of this exercise will open up a channel to connect with your inner silence. As discussed in the lesson above, the biggest obstacle for our creativity is the constant noise of our mind. This exercise will help you to quickly connect with your inner silence in moments of intense mental activity.
From this zone of silence, it is easy to come up with new ideas and different ways of thinking. Your inner silence is a zone of creativity, intelligence and awareness. Intense musical exercise will help you to connect with this beautiful inner space of yours.
Intense Dancing Exercise:
Similar to the intense musical exercise, we can alternate between intense physical movement and deep rest to find our zone of creativity. Intense dancing exercise is a method to break the set patterns of our body. Our body is a reservoir of memory of all the things that we have experienced. Our emotions of pain, fear, anger, frustration, happiness and suffering are deeply embedded in the body.
When we move our bodies in a certain way, we are unconsciously changing the set patterns of our mind. In this exercise we will use our body to break the set patterns of the mind and find the zone of inner creativity.
Pick a comfortable place for this exercise, preferably secluded. Choose your favorite loud and intense music and begin to slowly move to the music. As you begin to enjoy the music and your body is flowing along with the music, slowly intensify the movements. You can swing, sway, jump and dance.
Continue to intensify the movements for the next 5 minutes. You can exhaust yourself as much as you can handle, and at the end of five minutes stop the music and immediately lie down on your back in a fully relaxed posture. Throughout this exercise, keep your focus entirely on the body.
You can alternate between intense dancing and relaxation for about 30 minutes. This is a wonderful exercise to destress, relax and connect with your inner creativity. Initially, this exercise might seem a little silly, but with regular practice you can clearly see how it is changing your mind and body.
This exercise will help you to go beyond your fears and frustrations in a fun-filled way. With regular practice you will be able to connect with your zone of deep relaxation; the seat of your creativity.
Those who practice this exercise regularly have experienced increased relaxation, increased self-confidence levels, better sleep quality, and increased creativity. This exercise will help you to go beyond your fears and insecurities, the main obstacles of creativity. More importantly, this exercise will give you the confidence to be yourself, allowing you to express your unique creative abilities without constantly worrying about the opinions of people around you.
Listening Meditation
Questions For Reflection
Question 1: What is creativity?
Question 2: What are some ways in which you can connect with your creativity?
Question 3: What is mindfulness?
Question 4: What good is accumulating information? Does it support creativity?
Question 5: What is the biggest obstacle to creativity? How can we overcome this obstacle?