The world has lost its mind. When I say ‘the world’, I mean the human world – what we are pleased to call ‘civilisation’. The natural world is doing its best to prop us up and keep us alive, despite our best efforts to undermine its ability to do so. We're testing our Mother’s patience and a climatic arse-kicking of apocalyptic proportions is heading our way. Probably.
The only way to respond to such rampant insanity and myopic destruction is to create. I’m not suggesting that everyone bury themselves in artistic creation: paint a pretty picture and you won’t notice the destruction on your doorstep; write a novel and the stories you tell yourself and your readers will replace the reality outside your window.
The only way to respond to such rampant insanity and myopic destruction is to create. I’m not suggesting that everyone bury themselves in artistic creation: paint a pretty picture and you won’t notice the destruction on your doorstep; write a novel and the stories you tell yourself and your readers will replace the reality outside your window.
“I love my creative life more than I love cooperating with my own oppression.” - Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Born Creative
Creativity is usually
described as the making of something new, original or useful. It’s seen as an
expression of individuality and imagination, a way to connect disparate ideas
which surprise, shock or reveal something previously unknown. Creativity is a
skill which can be taught. More importantly, it’s something that can be used to
make money and achieve wider influence or recognition. Develop your creativity
and you’ll be more productive, sell more stuff, get more friends, and earn more
money.
Is that really what
creativity is about?
Creativity has been hijacked by our corporate culture and
put to work building shiny surfaces and glittering baubles. We are drowning in
new, improved ‘stuff’ and dying of thirst for lack of real water.
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.” - e.e. cummings
Everyone is born
creative. Children create constantly, but their natural creativity is neutered
in the name of conformity. As we grow up we are expected to find a place in
society where we can be productive – pay our taxes, consume, and make more
little consumers. Conformity to such a culture is an act of violence against
the self and the soul.
Our culture doesn’t
value creativity unless it’s connected to something that makes money. When
creativity is attached to money, power and ambition, it becomes distorted. It
becomes destructive. Our civilisation isn’t creative, it’s a cannibal.
Uncreative Art
Creativity doesn’t
necessarily have anything to do with creating art – whether music, paintings,
films, books, or whatever. You can live creatively without ever picking up a
paint brush or writing a novel or strumming on a guitar.
Even if you do create
art, it can be done in an uncreative way. You can paint without being creative,
or write without being creative, and so on. Hollywood churns out films that are
staggeringly uncreative. The world is choking on bad TV, bad novels, and bad
films.
By calling a bad film
‘uncreative’, I don’t mean that it’s poorly executed. Much of what we would
recognise as ‘bad art’ is expertly done. But the best and truly creative films,
books and TV shows have something else – a spark, genuine originality, a
feeling of connection with the audience, a sense of deeper meaning and
relevance.
When something is done
creatively, it connects.
What is creativity?
Anything can be done
creatively. You are creative if you connect with the world and the people
around you. Through mindful presence the inner and outer worlds are joined in
mutual meaning which gives rise to joy. By listening to the voice of your soul,
the inner spring that nourishes your being, that joy can be shared in a
spontaneous passion for life.
So creativity is a state of mind, an attitude and
a way of living and being in the world.
“Not everybody can be a painter – and there is no need also. If everybody is a painter the world will be very ugly; it will be difficult to live. And not everybody can be a dancer, and there is no need. But everybody can be creative.
Whatsoever you do, if you do it joyfully, if you do it lovingly, if your act of doing it is not purely economical, then it is creative. If you have something growing out of it within you, if it gives you growth, it is spiritual, it is creative, it is divine.” - Osho
The Creative Life
True creativity is
always transformative. You know when you are being creative, because you are
open to change and curious about life. To be creative means to make the world a
better place by your simple presence and joy.
As you think, so you
become. As you create, so the world becomes.
The ultimate act of
creativity is the creation of a soul. Creativity fuels soul growth and
self-knowledge. To create is an act of self-revelation and joy, a celebration
of life and being alive. It is an act of love.
To live a creative life
means to be a master of your own being, to be self-possessed. A creative person
doesn’t have to be an artist.
A creative person need
only be awake.
To be awake and
creative is to be self-aware. A creative person is not easily bought or sold.
They share themselves, their ‘juice’, their truth, vision and aliveness. They
share their love.
Anything that is done
creatively becomes sacred – it becomes an act of worship and a source of grace.
A cup of tea made mindfully and with joy is consecrated. A smile is a creative
act if it comes from the depths of your soul.
15 Qualities of a Creative Person
In his book on the
creative process, Fearless Creating,
Eric Maisel identifies fifteen active qualities that you need if you want to be
creative:
Existing
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Making Meaning
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Affirming
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Loving
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Doubting
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Rebelling
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Dreaming
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Committing
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Looking
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Thinking
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Encountering
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Learning
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Choosing
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Acting
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Stopping
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These qualities are
verbs – things you must do if you
want to live creatively. This can be a challenge, even in perfect conditions.
We live in a culture which is far from perfect, but the only way to change the
world is to change ourselves.
Change begins in the
darkness of your own soul. It is up to you to do the work needed to bring your
truth into the light and share it so that others might benefit, whether this is
through your art, your cooking, your service, or your smile.
Over the coming days we’ll look at each of these qualities and build a picture of what it takes to
be creative in a world gone mad. First up: Existing
