Creativity

In an interview with Deepak Chopra he once said something to the effect that ”creativity requires uncertainty; after all, with certainty, what room can there be for creativity?.”
The basic idea then, is to get something from nothing. Inspiration from the mundane; life from a pencil and paper; clarity from a mess; certain awesomeness from total unknowingness. Something from nothing. Creativity is a nonlinear process.

So the question comes up: “How can I be more creative?”
A wiser pursuit might be to experience creativity itself more deeply, since creativity itself is a constant. Everything arises spontaneously out of uncertainty in every instant. Therefore, to experience creativity more deeply requires alignment; finding agreement between one’s will and the nature of creativity itself.

As 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 so beautifully outlines the nature of Love, perhaps we might outline the nature of Creativity in the same spirit...

Firstly, creativity is not frustrated.
There’s no need to worry about fighting frustration though, just be concerned with fostering patience. The frustration will dissolve entirely of its own when patience begins to flower.
Creativity is patient, but not so much in the sense of waiting calmly, as in the sense of proceeding calmly.
Creativity is not impatient.
With creativity there’s no sense of urgency, but never any hesitation either.
Creativity is a phenomena that one participates in, not something which one can orchestrate.
Creativity is the music that is played though we, the instruments.
Creativity is not limited or conditional.
Creativity is spontaneous.
Creativity is not synonymous with wit or cleverness; they are its weak immitators. It never serves nonintegrous intent. Creativity is a phenomenon that is served by one’s willingness to participate in it.
Creativity is not retaliatory.
True creativity is influential.
True creativity serves God above all else.

Saint Hildegard of Bingen described herself as God’s Trumpet; an instrument for His work. Mother Theresa described herself as a pencil in the hand of God, writing the most beautiful love story.

It seems that such an approach is evident even with the most celebrated creators in history. As we have witnessed them creating, it always appears to be effortless. The works of Shakespeare are hardly the work of a methodical intellect, and yet they shine with brilliance. Creativity appears to flow through us, even though we often suggest that it has been executed by us.
The claim to authorship is often a difficult thing to surrender.
Even with our thoughts, it’s only in the instant after the fact that we claim authorship of the thoughts.
In ’The Power of Now’, Eckhart Tolle suggests an excersize which can help to reveal this lack of copyright that we have on just our own thoughts, not to mention the creativity that we claim to be our own.
He suggests that one merely sit quietly and try to predict what his next thought will be.
It’s really impossible.

So, surrendering the sense of authorship can only help to deepen one’s experience of creativity.
What seems to be at the core of creativity is a love and devotion to Divinity(whether that occurs consciously or unconsciously). In Love of God, all of life is experienced as creative unfoldment.

“God, make me an instrument of Your Love.”
In bearing witness to the ways that prayer is answered, every second of every day, we are blessed to see God; the Nature of nature, whose essence is Creation; whose Creation is “I”!

-Rob