We look at the power of creativity as a universal panacea: the means to enhance lifestyle and lead us through economic downturn; to inspire genius, fuel dreams and manifest magic

“Be enchanted, be playful, leverage your mind, let go of your mind, loosen yourself, let something out, then let something in and allow your highest expression to arrive filled with courage and authority.” 

Creativity carries an edginess; an excitement. We feel it as an aura of allure or fantasy and like yawning or laughter it is infectious. It spreads a contact high, a mysterious fever filled with the new, the now and the desirable. Underlying creativity is an intoxicating energy.

This is the mood that often comes with taking Immortality. Reaching into your authentic self can set off a desire to let go of things you no longer need or situations and circumstances propped up by posturing rather than honesty. We look at the power of creativity as a universal panacea: the means to enhance lifestyle and lead us through economic downturn; to inspire genius, fuel dreams and manifest magic. 

Pinpointing creativity may at first seem like a tall order for something hard to define. Corporate bottom liners may reduce it to ‘more ideas in a smaller space of time’. Regardless of function, it is an antidote to the mundane and a gateway to purpose. 

Dr. Kathy Goff, author of Everyday Creativity, (Brain Savvy) says: “Creativity has been described as the most basic manifestation of a man or woman fulfilling his or her own being in the world.” 

This search for our essential authenticity, what many may call our ‘spirit’, is driving a new view of life and reality – and creativity is the means by which we can achieve it. Creativity is life blood of successful existence. Get more of it with these four techniques and practices. 

Find your personal story in the CREATIVE POWER OF MYTH 

Mythical stories have a magical way of enhancing creativity. They document the timeless archetypal patterns buried in the psyche. When hearing myths we identify with the heroes or victims on a deep level. They unlock emotions and move us. Mythological characters draw you into their adventures and fuel creative imagination. Their quest becomes your quest and you are inspired to conquer or exalt the same timeless issues that exist in life today. When you read myths, psychological patterns are activated, something inside responds and is seduced by the possibility of heroic deeds.

Joseph Campbell, renowned teacher and author of The Hero’s Journey (New World Library) says: 

“Good myths exert a powerful mental and emotional magnetism on the psyche. By being conscious of which myths attract us and which characters attract us we learn something about ourselves. The more you understand your own personal myth, the more creative you can be in actualizing your desired potential. Who are you, what are your greatest desires, and what do you want out of life? Know these feelings and live them creatively.” 

“I always tell my students to follow their bliss – where the deep sense of being is from, and where your body and soul want to go. When you have that feeling, then stay with it, don’t let anyone throw you off…and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”

On some level everyone is aware of their unlimited potential. Accessing it is easier if you acknowledge that it lies within you. Myths have a way of reminding you. Their strong visual images enhance creativity making the mind fluid and mobile opening it up to inspiration and intuition. The imagination is fed by evocative images and the emotions these images spark. Those ancient mythological Gods and Goddesses who performed miraculous feats and conquered insurmountable odds cue the hidden desires dormant within the self. For an instant the doubt and limitation that obscures our creative talents is removed and exquisite possibilities are born. Carl Jung believed in a collective unconscious that empowers all humankind with essential ideals. In his research he documented the essential archetypal patterns that recur over and over again in man’s individual and collective journeys. The same eternal quality of the ancient mythological tales and characters live within us today. Consistent exposure to high ideals above and beyond the secular brings creative genius closer to everyday life. 

To use the power of myths, get in touch with your own personal hero and emulate his or her qualities. Turn yourself into a mythological archetype and see yourself in courageous roles using your own personal power to overcome challenges. Amplify your creative desires. Find out where they are taking you. Strongly visualise yourself having overcome all your fears and shortcomings. As your imaginative hero- self becomes better known to you, you will find these qualities manifesting in your life. 

Embody the characteristics of the CREATIVE WARRIOR 

Creativity can be honed by embodying the principles of a warrior. Picture the skill of a Zen Archer or Martial artist. Years of training sharpen qualities like clear intent, fearlessness, determination, and the will to conquer. These are powerful tools that can be used for creative manifestation. During training Martial artists discipline both body and mind to strengthen their will. It follows that a fluid and flexible body supports a flexible mind allowing a free range of thought essential to creative flow. In contrast the obstacles to a creative mind are stagnant mental pathways, apathy and laziness. In terms of aligning your will, think of the Zen Archer who becomes one with the target, where his arrow is a representation of his will and when perfectly aligned will hit the target. A strong and determined will often brings flashes of intuition.  

Creativity explorer and writer Janet L. Read defines three simple attitudes essential to embodying the qualities of the creative warrior. When developed as character traits, these principles can generate creative results akin to genius. 

• Be clear in your intent to design a work of art or resolve a problem. Know exactly what it is that you want to accomplish. 
• Be resolved to see the solution through to the end. Accept that time is not a factor, nor are any roadblocks. 
• Have the courage to venture into the unknown, even if you don’t understand where you’re going or why this new path will lead you to your goal. 

Start CREATIVE LIVING

Creativity can be adopted as a lifestyle. Imagine a creative lifestyle as one of having the awareness that you consciously create each moment. Although we seldom walk around with this thought as a constant reminder, we create our reality moment by moment by how we think. Thought is so much more powerful than we ever give it credit for. By harnessing the creative power of thought, we can make dramatic changes to our experience of life. As Paul J Meyer, American personal development guru says: “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon, must inevitably come to pass.”  

Having the ultimate creative life means fulfilling all your deepest desires. Yet most of us only get what we ‘expect’ out of life, not what we want. Every moment our thoughts are creating – if we are aware of this we can choose to create exactly what we want instead of letting unharnessed thoughts create things we don’t want. What often confuses this type of thinking is the belief that certain things are not in our control. And yes, we do live in a predetermined environment to some extent although we can exercise our free will by how we choose to respond to that environment. An important aspect of this is not to create our future based on the past. Your present does not have to be an extension of your past. At any time you can change your life completely through your own will to do so.  The most powerful way of getting what you want is to imagine all your dreams as though they are taking place right now. 

Liken the universe to a giant copy machine that simply copies and distributes back to you whatever it is you are thinking. Immersing yourself in the ‘being’ of what you want as opposed to the ‘wanting’ will make it manifest.

In other words, live it as though it is already here otherwise your thoughts will keep it perpetually projected into the future. Appropriate advice from an abundance theorist:  “Each time you think, make sure your thoughts are paying you a profit.” Imagine yourself as abundant and your life will move in that direction. Imagine you are healthy, and your body will heal. Create a mental blueprint of whatever it is you want, breathe it into your present and start living it. Sooner than you think, it will become your reality. 

Prime yourself for CREATIVE EMOTION 

Emotional health is vital to a creative mind. Alyce Harms from Energetic Evolutions explains that when emotions are negative or suppressed, the creative urge is either quelled or distorted. If you choose to express your full creative potential, learning to effectively release trapped emotional stress is imperative. Negative emotional residues collected from the past can get stuck in the body and impede creative endeavour. For the creative mind to soar, these emotional residues need to be released. Various techniques are highly effective in doing this. Especially those that incorporate body work, after all, emotions are the bridge between the mind and the body. Yoga is one of the best as it stretches the entire body, releases stress from the internal organs and encourages focus on the wellbeing of the body. Body work exercises like bioenergetics and body stress release might combine exercises, muscle release, massage and vocal expression to move emotions from the body. Meditation is another. Stilling the mind helps you to listen to the deeper self. 

Observing emotions in a detached manner offers an optimum perspective for letting them go. It also helps the observer to notice habitual patterns of behavior that are destructive or self-defeating.

Documenting and learning to interpret dreams can also serve to release negative feelings and resolve past situations.  Our behavior patterns are greatly influenced by emotions. Impulsivity, impatience and emotional immaturity will prevent prolonged focus on a desired outcome. To achieve emotional well being it is important to understand where feelings come from and how they relate to the body and mind.  Dr Candace Pert in her book, Molecules of Emotion, (Pocket Books) explains that the body is a network of interconnected physical expression, and any organ system that has been compromised will weaken the entire system, and reduce mental clarity. In this way emotions can enhance or retard the creative process.  “The greatest of things are achieved in a light heart,” says the enlightenment teacher Ramtha. 

.