The Search for Creativity
In the middle of the night I awaken with a sparkling idea that
squeezes every ounce of sleep right out of me. For a few moments
I lie unmoving, trying to convince myself that I'll remember it
in the morning if I drop off again now. The merciless wisdom of
experience shakes me.
Inspiration can be a fickle...
...fleeting little thing who flutters through your dreams,
splashes you in the shower and zooms right past you on the motor
way; sometimes only just noticeable enough to grasp. I have
learnt to whisk her to me when she shows, so I fumble for my pad
which has slipped just out of reach. My tired eyes squint as the
warm glow of my bedside lamp seems more like a cruel and hostile
search light. Still, I feel that familiar, whole-body buzz that
accompanies a good idea and begin to let a scrawled little
stream flow onto the pages.
Oh, the bliss of night time inspiration!
Since then, a few weeks have passed and the gurgling stream has
somewhat dried up in the heat of concentrated work on a new
course, the next CD and what seem like thousands of other
'incidentals'. Of course I've read all the books about how to be
creative even when your head is on fire and the water's freezing
your feet in their wellies. I've heard many an inspiring tale of
'real' writers who manage to get up an hour earlier every
morning and create wonderful works of art in less than a
fortnight.
But, I ask myself...
...do these people have children to care for, houses to clean,
gardens to tend and bills to pay? Do they have someone to share
chores with and the most urgent question of all - how in
heaven's name do they do it?
What's the trick to maintaining the creative flow, as well as
navigating through the relentless mountain stream of life? How
much faster do I have to swim to catch up with my raft?
And suddenly I remembered...
...from carefree childhood holidays - floating, being carried
along, and 'going with the flow'. Keeping still enough to allow
the water to carry me. I could do that very well when I was
young. Even the faster streams or the waves of the ocean I could
ride without a board - just by knowing when to let go and where
to concentrate. Sometimes only for a few short lengths, but
never without the thrill and carefree joy of being washed along.
I hardly need to think much further to know that this is the
answer to finding inspiration and maintaining my creative flow -
and maybe yours too? Often, we make the mistake of thinking we
need to work harder, faster and longer still. When it comes to
creativity, it's the child-like enthusiasm, the care-free yet
single-minded concentration and the willingness to set our
imagination free that does the trick.
So, how do we retain our productive flow amid the incessant
hurdles of waiting tasks, ticking clocks and life's
responsibilities.
The dancers danced and the pianists played
The one thing all the great artists had in common was that they
pampered their passions. If they enjoyed walking, they would do
so for hours. The dancers danced, pianists played and gardeners
planted. They knew of the importance of stepping out of the rat
race and taking time to follow their bliss. They knew that this
fuelled their creative fires and gave them the endurance to
continue on when the stream turned into a trickle.
Enjoy the Thrill
So, I suggest you take inspiration from the Inspired Ones of the
past and give yourself some good quality, guilt-free time out to
do what will give you energy, motivation and focus. Then enjoy
the thrill of going with that creative flow again.