Monday, 08 February 2010
by Heather Ash Amara
The catalyst for internal alchemy is what I call "creative intent." This is your ability to find new ways of moving past obstacles while staying focused on your final goal.
Creativity is the feminine polarity of life; a sense of playful experimentation. Creative energy is the flow of art, and moves as a spontaneous response to stimuli. Creativity stems from dreaming and intuition, and a wide horizon of perception." -- Excerpt from The Journal of Creative Intent #2
Creativity is the juiciness and flow of life. It is often unexpected, unexplainable, and unpredictable. Creativity is our unique expression of life, manifested for pure joy. When we are in the river of creative flow, we do not seek a reward or recognition; we tap into the unknown and for a moment, mystery moves through us into form.
Creativity cannot be forced or scheduled, but it can be enticed and opened to. As we make ourselves vessels and clear out our own doubts and shoulds and rules, creativity often comes to fill and soon overflow through us. We see new possibilities, new actions, new ways of being. We are inspired to take the inner images, sensations, and taste of our inner world and make them tangible.
This creative expression is not only what artists strive for. Creativity is a vital force in helping us move through our own internal obstacles and fears.
The places of limitation within us often stem from the creative ways we tried to stay "safe" when we were children. For example, most of us grow up with a sense of scarcity in our lives: scarcity of love, scarcity of resources, scarcity of self-confidence. In order to compensate, people create fantastic agreements or strategies. "I have to be in a relationship or I am not whole." "If I have a lot of money in the bank, I am safe." "If I make sure everyone likes me, I know I am a good person." All examples of wacky internal creativity!
As we become more aware and strive to change these agreements, obstacles arise. Our old structure, which we created to make order in an unpredictable world, fights to stay alive. Our habitual response is to follow the old pattern. That relationship just ended, so I must quickly find another one, or feel lonely and fragmented until I do. I am feeling insecure, so I am going to go buy something expensive (and later go into fear that I don't have enough money.) My friend is disappointed in me, so I must have done something wrong.
When we are willing to risk being creative, there are a million different ways we can respond to stimuli. It is exciting! We pull our heads out of our tiny box of responses and look towards infinity for our answers. We approach our obstacles and fears with a sense of adventure. What will I do today? Who will I be today? What will I learn about myself today? Yeehaaaa!
For example: Your relationship ends, and you consciously choose to be creative, so you: Have a divorce celebration with some close friends to support you, where you cut the cords on this and all of your previous relationships; Spend a week in retreat, nourishing yourself with good food and lots of long hikes; Take your new alone time to do something you have always dreamed of trying; Get on the internet and create a personal, and then go on dates with fifteen people in four weeks with the agreement that you will not get into a relationship, but simply explore what you like or who you are around others; Shave your head and dedicate yourself to meditation for a year; Volunteer to help a child in need; Find a good therapist or spiritual guide.... What would be different from your usual pattern? Be creative!
To cultivate your own creativity this week, start by making a list of a problem in your life, and at least ten different ways to work with it. Let some of your ideas be crazy! Stretch your mind. If you cannot think of a problem, take the examples above (money in bank and disappointing a friend) and list ten creative things someone could do.
Then do at least one of these creative ideas this week.
Open your creative flow more fully by doing one artistic activity this week. Paint a dream, visit a museum and wander through the hallways feeling the art, dance wildly under the moonlight, build a fire and speak to the flames, or sing out loud in public.
Tapping into your creativity may feel awkward at first. Remember you are breaking your own box, which can feel frightening or liberating, or both simultaneously. Pay attention to where you want to limit yourself, or where you are uncomfortable stepping out of your own comfort zone.
Pay attention to the ways your mind goes into habit, and constantly challenge yourself: How can I be creative in this situation?
Heather Ash is the author of THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF CHANGE and founder of The Center of Creative Intent http://www.creativeintent.org. Her passion is in supporting people to reach their highest potential.
