Creativity

I have always learned best from experience. As a kid I touched hot stoves and poked screwdrivers into light sockets because I was told not to. No one told me why these were bad ideas and even if they had I still wanted to learn by doing. My schoolteachers often admired my curiosity but were not always pleased with this approach to learning.

I remain curious and hold a special place in my head and heart for really big ideas about how things work. At some point for me this has included science, religion, mythology and philosophy. My way is to grapple with theory poking, prodding, kicking or shaking and idea hard enough some that something comes loose that I can put to work (see my earlier post on action learning). Nothing makes me happier than to take a beautiful idea, apply it, and see what happens.

The beautiful idea here is creation and creativity. A book written by Matthew Fox, radical theologian called “Creativity” has deeply influenced my thinking on this weighty issue. I waded through the whole book and have interpreted what he is saying as follows; if the universe is constantly expanding and creating itself, and if time and space are constantly creating themselves, and matter is constantly creating shape and form, the only rational response from a human being is to be as creative as possible.

Creativity is for me, what I think it is for Matthew Fox, the on going story of creation formed from an elegant synthesis of science and spirituality. I already know enough science to believe that everything is, was and always will be in some state of creation and that it is entirely possible in the quantum world that everything that ever was still exists.

I don’t pretend to know why this happens (or where things come from or where they go) but I have worked quite hard to put this thinking to work staying focused on being creative. Sticking my finger into this cosmic wall socket has produced a sincerely important outcome for me. When I make the conscious effort to put my best creative foot forward I am a happier more productive human being. This means a lot to me.

Creativity is a challenge, as it requires the means for translating or transforming the “creative moment” or the “moment of inspiration” into something tangible. Preparing myself to be creative takes both effort and discipline. Some mastery of technique and tools is essential to make the creative leap to that place where technique meets inspiration and something new is born.

Tom Robbins, in his first novel “Another Roadside Attraction” says something to the effect that any discipline that we practice hard enough becomes art, and when we push that discipline beyond art it becomes magic.

My experience is that creative moments of clarity and beauty are spontaneously available to us if we are ready. These moments are transformational and make us better happier people. I believe this occurs when we link our unfolding creativity in the moment with that of the universe which is also unfolding. And if we are prepared with tools, techniques and discipline in that moment dancing together with the universe we create magic.

How’s that for a big idea?