If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. Vincent Van Gogh
Creativity, seen as the potential to create, is something we are all born with. Probably you are surrounded by many people who are naturally good at dancing, singing, playing instruments, etc. And there are also people who always come up with innovative solutions to problems that are endpoints for others. If you feel stuck in your creative process or you got used to crossing your arms, slightly tilting your head and sighing heavily saying “I just wasn’t born like that…”, you’re in for a treat.
Imagine that you’re in a fresh, green field, heading home. Finding your way should not be that complicated, right? What if your were in the same field now covered by a thick fog. Not that obvious, is it? The regular practise of meditation acts as a gentle breeze that vanishes away the fog, creating space for light and clarity to lead your way.
Gain Insight, Unleash Your Creativity
Meditation creates the mental, emotional and spiritual space that fosters insights. There is nothing metaphysical about it; it’s simply logical. Our brains are filled with information and unconsciously, these pieces of information interact. During meditation, we learn to lower the volume on the clutter that is inside our minds and allow the essential to come to surface. If you have been thinking about designing a new dance performance for months now, your mind is already wired to finding ideas about this upcoming show. So, when you meditate, chances are you’ll get an insight about the next step for your performance.
Look into the Uncommon, Focus on the Details
Our mind stores habits of behaviour or of thinking as a way to simplify the process of taking decisions. So, for example, the sequence of your morning routine, waking up, washing face, brushing teeth, etc. is something that is automatically uploaded, no need for you to think about what is next. Showering is next because that’s the way you’ve been spending your mornings for the last 2 years let’s say. Having routines is great, don’t get me wrong, it’s a time-saver.
Still, disrupting the habitual way you perceive certain aspects of your life, will open the door for you to access your creative potential. Meditation helps you become more focused and observe the details. Sometimes, the biggest ideas bloom from the tiniest of facts. Allow yourself through the practice of meditation to look at the world anew and to explore the uncommon.
Mute the Judge and Allow Your Creativity to Flow
Creators are quite exigent on themselves and they have a very loud inner judge. Many of us might have had marvellous ideas about what we could create next, how we could perform on a stage or do some street poetry. And then we were reduced to silence by that little voice that says “You can’t”, cause you’re either not good enough, not ready enough, you lack the confidence, the networking skills to make it big… You name it, the result is the same: we did not do it. Meditation comes as a healer and defender for those who try. It does not happen in one shot, but in time, due to regular practice, your mind listens less and less to the diminishing, negative thoughts and starts creating more and more positive, empowering thoughts. And don’t imagine your mind does all the work all by itself. No, no… You are behind the wheel of these new thoughts, you manifest your creativity in standing up for yourself and making justice to your talents.
So, if any of the words you read triggered an “Aha”, pick up now a piece of paper and write down “Creativity flows through me!”. Keep this piece of paper close by and whenever you think otherwise, unfold and read it out loud.