Litany of Creativity /Dune-inspired/
I will listen.
Creativity echoes the mind.
Thinking creates pressure by demanding control.
I will let go of control and dissolve expectations.
When thoughts quiet down, I will stay.
Where pressure and doubt once reigned, there is only calm.
Now, I hear.
In the world of Dune, they have the Orange Catholic Bible. In the real one, maybe we can make our own OCB (Orange Creativity Book).
People who are much smarter than me have shared their ideas on what creativity is. The view that I’ve come to believe in however, is that creativity is our ability to quiet down distractions (internal and external), so that we can observe how our mind problem-solves / fills in the blanks. Ideas don’t come from an external place, they are not divine. Great ideas are reflections of our life and experiences combined. They happen in the background of our »thinking« mind, all the time, by themselves. Not all of them are »useful« and most are just the mind’s cry for attention. With practice, it is possible to quiet the mental chatter down and recognize gems amongst pebbles.
Trying to force an idea creates unpure and unsatisfying half-creations.
Most people believe that a sense of creativity is something we’re born with. In that, I think most people are wrong. Our own ability to be creative is often judged only by the criteria of what kind of creativity we cherish in others. So then, even if someone is super inventive, maybe even inspirational, they may still not see themselves as creative at all. By allowing the mind to run free, you’re putting in a vote of confidence towards yourself, giving power to your imagination, now in stereo.
Great concepts are labyrinths, built out of loud a-ha moments.
When the thinking mind is active and feels stressed, ideas seem scattered and quiet. After all, it’s difficult to see or hear in a thunderstorm. On the other hand, we’re the best versions of ourselves when calm and mindful, unobscured and unaffected by expectations. It’s a powerful place where great ideas are born and we are all forever creative.
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
P.S.: since the »Litany of Creativity« was inspired by Dune, it’d be sacrilage not to quote the original »Litany against Fear«: