Issue #51
What is creativity? Can you define it? Where does it come from? Why do some people think they are not creative? Why are others swimming in a sea of creativity? Can we control our creativity, or does it move to the beat of a different drummer? Why is one person creative and another not?
Are you open to the creativity within your spirit? Do you hear it calling you? Do you follow it down the path to your heart? We are dancers on the shores of hope, giving gifts to those who understand. Creativity does not drive through the rain but sits under the umbrella and listens to the silence between the drops. Do you let it happen gently on the corners of your soul, or do you force it through the keyhole of resistance?
How does creativity manifest itself in your life? What forms does it take? What rituals are you forced to follow? Can you call up creativity at will, or must you kneel in prayer, hoping for it to return? Does creativity drain you of your energy, or does it fill your spirit with enthusiasm? Does creativity dance on the winds of love, or is it a tornado of destruction? Does creativity possess you, or do you possess it?
Does your cup overflow with creativity? Or does it come to you in drips and drops? Do you go for days, weeks, or months without a creative thought? Or do your thoughts drown you in a tsunami of creativity?
Being a creative leader is challenging, and we often work against ourselves. Our minds find excuses why we can't work. We don't realize that this downtime is good for us because it helps us create. We need the downtime even if we feel guilty about it.
For five years after I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I was very productive, often writing two poems or more a day. After this creative period, my productivity dwindled. There were days, even weeks when I didn't write a single poem, but that was okay because my mind and heart needed to replenish themselves. Sure, sometimes I felt guilty, but I knew I would return to work one day.
I have had years where I have written 700 - 800 poems and other years where I write 40 - 50. Am I being lazy? No, I am recharging my creative batteries.
Sometimes, our best ideas come unannounced when we are relaxed and playing. When you experience writer's block, escape from your office to walk in the woods, fly a kite, swing in the sunshine, swim in the pool, or build sand castles.
Creativity cannot be forced. It is best that you coax it to come out and play. Your muse likes to surprise you and will offer you a drink when you least expect it. Be ready when the moment arrives so the ideas don't vanish into the sunset.
What are you doing to encourage your creativity? Do you meditate? Or watch a sunrise? Or visit a museum? Or talk to a stranger? What are you doing to navigate your way out of your comfort zone? How are you breaking out of the routine?
Plant seeds of hope in the hearts of others.
"Creativity does not drive through the rain but sits under the umbrella and listens to the silence between the drops. Do you let it happen gently on the corners of your soul, or do you force it through the keyhole of resistance?" I love this! Thanks Harley. =)