Becoming Creative
These are preparation steps for higher creativity.
We were born to be creative. Only one thing can prevent our freely expressing creativity in life again and again. That one thing is the lack of inspiration flowing in our mind. Once we open to higher inspiration and concentrate on some need in the world that we want to help meet, we can tap into the plane of Intuition and start the stream of ideas flowing into our minds. Very simply, we are Creative Beings through divine inspiration. Creativity comes naturally when we offer something of value that will benefit others. Once this intention is set, we become single-minded. We reach into greater light and connect with the soul, extend our reach to the higher self, and then tap into the higher intuitive plane. What you can do to increase your creativity: The first step in becoming more creative is giving yourself permission to do everything creatively. By putting all your attention on what it would be like to be inspired and creative, and by making a vivid picture in color on the screen of your mind, you will spontaneously open doors to creativity. Next, give yourself permission to think, speak, and act creatively. The second task is to overcome personal blocks to creativity as you viewed it as a child and as an adult (especially your mther if you are a woman or your father if you are a man). You will discover a very similar "program" running in your unconscious mind. That program can delay you from realizing your own inherent creative talents. Simply create mentally a new picture of yourself in which you are innately, divinely creative. Shine the light of your soul on that picture until it comes alive and you realize that it really is you. Everything on earth can be done in different ways. As our minds evolve and our alignment with the intuitive plane comes into focus, we will discover better ways to do things, better ways to communicate, to schedule our lives, to produce something beautiful and practical for humanity. You do not have to wait until some psychic tells you that you are creative. Assume that you are, and reflect on how you have been creative in your mind even if you did not create a way to share these ideas. Find people who believe you are creative - or can be even more creative. Their belief will reflect your own belief about yourself. And you will quite naturally become even more creatiave. Spend time meditating on your own worthiness. Read about other creative people. Study the great creative solutions of pioneers who have contributed to a better life for humanity. Concentrate on the positive power of your own creative forces. These activities, combined with the receptivity of new ideas and your creatively putting together different pieces of the puzzle, will increase your confidence. Start with something very simple. For example, in advance focus on a creative route that has more beauty when going somethere around town. Plan one that is different and offers a new view of your area. Design a new pattern of eating that is more fun and healthy and occasionally includes people you would like to know better. Action steps: Here are a few additional things you can do to improve your creativity:
- Study books on creative thinking techniques and put them into practice.
- Attend courses on creative thinking and put the ideas into practice.
- Keep a daily journal and record your thoughts, ideas, sketches, etc. as soon as you get them. Review your journal regularly and see what ideas can be developed.
- Indulge in relaxation activities and sports to give the mind a rest and time for the subconscious to digest information.
- Develop an interest in a variety of different things, preferably well away from your normal sphere of work. For example, read comic books or magazines you wouldn't normally get. This keeps the brain busy with new things. It is a common trait of creative people that they are interested in a wide variety of subjects.
Don't work too hard - you need time away from a problem to be creative after periods of creative focus. It really helps to think of creativity as a set of skills. By practicing, one can get better at using them. So whenever you have a chance, try and do mundane things in novel ways - it will make them more entertaining and you will get more used to expressing your abilities. Practicing at overcoming irrational inhibitions will also help to improve your creativity. Creativity doesn't happen all at once, and anything can be achieved by breaking it down into smaller parts. Creativity requires patience and a willingness to work for a creative outcome rather than simply imagining that a mysterious "genie" will do the work while you sleep. Actually, this inner genie does work while you sleep if you meditate on what you want to create just before you go to sleep. Yet putting it all together is up to you. Set up an environment that encourages creative output, a mental and physical space (no matter how small) where you can let your creative juices flow. A program to improve your personal creativity might include the following steps: 1. Set a measurable goal. Some goals might be:
- to generate 10% more solutions
- to come up with an original solution for problem "X" within 2 weeks
- to find a new and efffective way to relate to my children that results in them wanting to spend more time with me
- to practice generating ideas by brainstorming.
2. Set up criteria to indicate whether or not you have reached or are reaching your goal, such as:
- the ideas are novel (in that particular context)
- the ideas are useful, they solve the problem or meet the challenge
- the ideas can be put into practice in the world within an appropriate time and budget
3. Learn creativity techniques. This is our focus at the seminar on creativity.
4. Spend time with people who you believe are creative and ask them how they did it. There are many paths to creativity.
5. Surround yourself with people who love and respect you; people who encourage you to take risks.
6. Celebrate your progress in reaching your creativity goals.
- Begin thinking of yourself as a creative person. Learn the skills of creativity, act creatively every opportunity you get and find environments that support creative behavior.