Jumpstart Your Creativity

What Do You Want to Create?

Perhaps the greatest myth about creativity is the idea that it’s a rare gift or genetic endowment possessed by only a few. We see an original painting, feel moved to our core by a piece of music, or read about an incredible scientific discovery and mistakenly conclude that some people are born with creative talent while others are not. In reality, each of us is infinitely creative.

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”
– Buckminster Fuller

“It is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected findings of science.”
– Carl Sagan

Just as a picture is drawn by an artist, surroundings are created by the activities of the mind.
– Buddha

“Consciousness is the potential for all creation. The more consciousness you have, the more potential you have to create. Pure consciousness, because it underlies everything, is pure potential.”
– Deepak Chopra

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
– Lao Tzu

“Every creative act involves a new innocence of perception liberated from the cataract of accepted belief.”
– Arthur Koestler

“The Possible’s slow fuse is lit by the imagination.”
– Emily Dickenson

”Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.”
– Arthur Koestler

When you play and open yourself to new experiences, you enter into the present moment. You see the world with fresh eyes, relinquishing rigid ideas about how things “ought to be” and opening yourself to creative solutions and transformation. Here are a few activities to jump-start your creativity.

Write
Pick an object. It can be an everyday item off your desk, a travel souvenir, a favorite relic, or any other object that draws your attention. Now imagine that you have just discovered this item on an archaeological dig. Write a short story about what it is and how it was used. Speculate about the people and culture that produced the object . . . who used it? Was it reserved for special ceremonies? What did it represent to those who created it?

Sing
Choose a familiar song and make up new lyrics. Choose something simple such as a favorite children’s song or your favorite Beatles classic.

Go Outside
Take a brisk walk or a run in a beautiful park or somewhere in nature. Inhale the life force of the plants with your full attention, imagining the air entering your lungs, flowing to your heart, and fueling the millions of life processes taking place in every second. At night, go outside and gaze at the stars, feeling the unboundedness of the universe.

Paint
Go to an art supply or crafts shop and buy 3–6 paints in colors you love. You can try watercolors, acrylics, or whatever kind of paint appeals to you. Don’t worry about what you will paint – just choose colors that you make your heart sing. Also select a surface for your project . . . canvas, paper, board. Set aside half an hour where you won’t be disturbed and let yourself paint. Allow yourself to play and request a “silent period” from your inner critic. Paint with your fingers, your hands, or your nose! Let the child in you play freely.

Dance
Turn down the lights and turn up the music and let your body move! You can dance alone or invite a group of friends over. Let go of any ideas about whether you can dance. Let the music wash over you and free your body to move. You’ll feel energized and you may even release hidden reservoirs of creativity.

Learn
Find inspiration by taking a class or attending a workshop. Harness your creativity at SynchroDestiny, the Chopra Center’s empowerment workshop. Find out more here.

To tap into our deepest potential and creative reservoirs, another extremely valuable tool is the practice of meditation. When we meditate, we access the pure consciousness that is the source of all creative inspiration. We go beyond our internal dialogue and repetitive thoughts into the refreshing silence and stillness of pure awareness. With a regular, twice-daily practice of meditation, we gain more and more access to the field of pure potential and spontaneously receive creative thoughts.

As you meditate and cultivate inner stillness, you will be able to act from a place of calm, centered awareness. The combination of stillness and dynamic movement will allow you to create whatever you want. As you venture into the field of all possibilities, keep in mind that feeling uncertain is a sign that you are moving in the right direction – towards greater freedom and expansion.

You may also find it helpful to find inspiration from other pioneers of the unknown. Watch movies, read books about creative people, and immerse yourself in their inspiring stories, remembering that you, too, possess everything necessary to live a creative, fulfilling life. In the words of Julia Child – the renowned master chef who was 37 when she began her culinary career at the Cordon Bleu in Paris: “Try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun!”

Source: Deepak Chopra