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Creativity
by Robert Abel
Imagine driving
your car down a peaceful, quiet country
road, passing farm after farm. You are
totally in tune with the rhythm of the road
as it radiates throughout your vehicle. Your
body and mind are quiet and relaxed, yet at
the same time you're fully alert - almost
like being at one with your car and the
surrounding environment.
Then when you
least expect it, something strikes you like
a bolt of lightning. Looking over at the
passenger seat, you see God. He has just
appeared in physical form, and you are very
happy to see Him. It seems God has dropped
by to bring you a gift. It's wrapped in a
small box with brightly colored wrapping
paper. But before you can open it, God tells
you a little something about your present.
It's a powerful
tool that can solve almost any type of
problem. It can be used anywhere in almost
any situation. You need only turn it on and
ask the appropriate questions. When the time
is right, solutions appear almost
automatically. This tool is connected
directly to God's vast storehouse of
knowledge. It will help you advance year
after year, while the competition stays in
the same place. It will help you invent new
ways of getting better results for
practically every application. It's
unbelievable, God says, because this tool is
a million times more powerful and useful
than Mr. Spock's computer. In fact, this
tool was used to create the entire Starship
Enterprise.
By now you're
really excited and can hardly wait to open
the box. But before you do, what are you
going to use it on first? Are there any
problems in your life that need solving? Is
there something in your environment,
workplace, job site, relationship or home
life that could be improved on somehow? Do
you think your relationship partner could
benefit from this useful gift as well? Well,
surprise! You open the box and God bestows
on you the gift of creativity and
imagination.
Both creativity
and imagination stem from your Inner Self.
The only difference between creativity and
imagination is that creative power is
limited to reality and imaginative power is
unlimited. Because creativity is a function
of your Inner Self and your Inner Self is
connected to God, your ability to co-create
comes from God as a gift. God gave us this
gift a long time ago, which is why humanity
keeps advancing year after year and the rest
of life on this planet keeps acting
according to its natural programming and
conditioning.
If you or your
relationship partner are missing out on this
wonderful tool, the following items may be
of assistance in using this powerful gift.
It has been divided into two parts. The
first part will help you get more in tune
with the creative part of yourself, and the
second part consists of various exercises
that will help increase your creative
capability.
Developing Your Creative Abilities
Recognize the
Flow:
Our creative abilities are at their best
during a state commonly known as "the flow."
The flow of creativity might be compared to
water in a stream. It flows along until
encountering a rock, and even then it simply
continues to flow downstream around it. When
we place water in a container it conforms to
the container's boundaries. In the same way,
our creative ability works best when we are
flowing effortlessly like water.
To find your own
state of flow you will need to perfectly
align your mind, body and talents with the
current activities in which you are
participating. During the state of flow
everything seems effortless, unified and in
harmony. Time seems to fly as you are
completely absorbed in your environment and
work. When the activities we participate in
are below our talents, we usually become
bored. If the activities we participate in
are above our talents, we usually become
anxious. A good example of this is your
average high school student who might
experience anxiety taking a college-level
exam and might get bored with a second-grade
lesson. The student would probably find
creative flow the easiest when working on a
high school science project that is
interesting and exciting. When we are in
touch with our Inner Selves and in harmony
with our current activities we can find the
state of flow that produces those good ideas
known as creativity.
Let Go:
To enhance the state of flow and creativity
you will find it helpful to quiet the part
of your mind that produces the chatter-type
thinking. It's necessary to release and let
go of any predetermined thoughts, concerns
and distractions which interfere with your
state of flow. Sometimes people experience
their most creative insights while
showering, driving, waking up, walking in
nature, watching sand run through their
fingers at the beach, playing an instrument,
dancing, vacationing or engaging in
contemplative prayer. The Meditation chapter
will help strengthen your ability to quiet
your mind and let go of any unwanted
distractions.
Convert Any
Self-Criticism:
One of the biggest blocks to creativity is
self-criticism. When we doubt ourselves, our
creative ability or ideas, we usually fail
to follow through on them. Our inner critic
might say things like, "If it were a good
idea, someone would already have thought of
it." Then six months later you see your idea
come out in the market place. Maybe your
inner critic says things like, "You're no
good. What a stupid idea," "They'll think
you're crazy," "You'll mess it up and never
get another chance," "Nobody will care," or
"They'll laugh at you." By confronting your
inner negative voice and discovering its
true intentions you will be better prepared
to use your creative ability. See the
Criticism chapter for more information on
converting any negativity you might be
hearing from your inner voice.
Free Yourself from
Predetermined Perceptions:
Another big block to creativity is
predetermined ideas of how things should be,
will be or must be. Any time we convince
ourselves mentally to expect a certain
predetermined outcome, we cut ourselves off
from creative possibilities. Anything that
keeps you from recognizing and opening
yourself up to new and improved ideas,
challenges and ways of looking at or
perceiving things will minimize your
creative ability. Try to free yourself from
pressures, competition, expectations,
restricted choices, evaluation from others,
supervision, repression, rigid thinking
patterns and predetermined perceptions.
Exercises for Increasing Your Creative
Capability
Inquiry Exercise:
A powerful way to increase your creative
ideas is through the inquiry exercise of
asking yourself one question each day. Focus
your questions on important areas or issues
in your life. Asking questions is an
important part of the creative process.
Almost everything that is manmade today
started out with a question: "How can I make
this product better? Why can't this be done
differently? What would happen if...? What
are my options to this problem? I wonder how
my partner can accomplish this?" Ask
yourself one powerful question a day and let
your Inner Self work on the solution.
Usually the answer will come to you when you
least expect it.
Ritual Exercises:
Another powerful way to increase your
creative ability is through the ritual
exercise. It works by experiencing something
different every day. Trying new, different
and unusual things on a regular basis will
strengthen your creative capability and
soften rigid, controlling conforming
patterns. By practicing the ritual exercise,
you can hold on to the familiar without
getting trapped in a stagnant daily routine.
You can begin by taking a different route to
work, listening to a different radio
station, taking a different lunch partner
out, doing a different nightly activity,
saying a different prayer, viewing the world
differently, or trying a different way to
treat others for the day. By becoming
familiar with new and unknown experiences on
a regular basis, you will be better prepared
to create new and unknown realities for your
life.
Observation
Exercise:
This mental exercise will help you
strengthen your memory and creative
attentiveness. Begin by closing your eyes
for 15 seconds. Then open and close your
eyes as fast as you can, like the shutter on
a camera. Take the brief picture of whatever
you are looking at and recreate it in your
mind. (This works best with things that
you're not very familiar with.) Try to
recreate the exact shapes, sizes, colors,
brightness and details in the picture. Try
to hold this picture in your mind for as
long as you can. Use your creativity to fill
in any unknown or forgotten areas. Use your
creativity to paint any fading colors. By
maintaining the image of the picture for as
long as you can, you will be strengthening
your creative ability.
Visions of Inspiration
And if people were
amazed at their power and working, let them
perceive from them how much more powerful is
the one who formed them. For from the
greatness and beauty of created things comes
a corresponding perception of their Creator.
-- The Wisdom of Solomon 13: 4-5
Be brave enough to
live life creatively. The creative is the
place where no one else has ever been. You
have to leave the city of your comfort and
go into the wilderness of your intuition.
You can't get there by bus, only by hard
work and risk and by not quite knowing what
you're doing. What you'll discover will be
wonderful. What you'll discover will be
yourself.
-- Alan Alda
Imagination is
more important than knowledge.
-- Albert Einstein
Reprinted from
The Relationship Toolbox by Robert Abel.
Robert Abel is
director of Relationship Rebuilders, a
marriage and family psychotherapy counseling
practice in Colorado. He works with couples
and families helping them heal the emotional
wounds of the past and incorporate
spirituality into their lives.
A member of the
American Psychological Association with
extensive studies in psychology and
sociology, one of Abel's highest goals is to
dramatically reduce the current divorce rate
by encouraging couples to develop the tools
to rebuild, maintain and strengthen their
relationships.
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