How do design and purpose reveal themselves in action? They do so through process. And when that process works clearly, without interference, it creates natural and pleasing forms. So we can call this action or rhythm of design and purpose the Creative Process.

The entire life cycle is a creative process, as is any stage within it. The circuit of the earth around the sun, and the subsequent seasons we experience, is a creative process. A single day is a creative process, as is a week or a lunar month. These are relatively natural cycles, each with design and purpose. The question is, how creatively do we handle these cycles? The answer lies in our ability to sense the rhythms of these cycles and act in harmony with them.

Here are sets of words that have been used to outline the rhythms of the Creative Process, matched with familiar cyclical occurrences:
   

(Please bear in mind that creative processes do not jump from segment to segment. However, making these divisions helps us get a sense of the different rhythms that occur as they move along.)

The first two segments, Stillness and Connection, are invisible, being feminine and subconscious in essence (what the Chinese call Yin). They make up the portion of the process that is grounded in Being. You can think of this as a quiet and reflective time, just as winter and early spring harbor life in preparation for later growth. This is precisely the part of the process that Western man (and often woman, too) has trouble with, for there is a tendency to jump into things and start doing with great passion. But this is not yet the time for that. The earth knows that; so does all of nature. And if people are going to be wise and sensitive, they too must learn to hold back their action and be still, listening and waiting for the right moment to act.

The latter portion of the process (Action and Creation) is the active stage, essentially masculine and conscious, or what the Chinese call Yang. There is Achieving, and later there are results and fulfillment. Many individuals have trouble here, too. Some want to jump to the fulfillment as quickly as possible; some want to avoid the fulfillment; and some want to fiddle with the results until there is no recognizable fulfillment. As in the first portion of the process, timing is everything.

The invisible and visible (yin and yang) combine in creative action. As each element of the process completes itself, the creation begins to appear. The result is always in accordance with how favorably each element was allowed to work. For example, if in the gestation of a fetus the mother's nutrition or disposition was less than ideal during the first trimester, the resulting infant can only be as healthy as can be expected under those conditions.

The word "want" is key to understanding what goes wrong in creative processes (or why it goes from creative to destructive). Because of emotional ties, we may often want the process to go in a certain direction or at a certain pace. This is especially true at moments of intensity. Whether in relationships, business, or art, this is disastrous, for we are contending with natural design, and the results are ultimately unfulfilling.

To illustrate the need to understand cycles, rhythms, and intensities, let us use childbirth as an analogy. During labor, the mother experiences what is called transition. This is the period when her contractions reach maximum intensity; thus, it is the period of maximum discomfort. If she is not aware of this, she may begin to panic, imagining that the intensity she feels will continue to increase and become overwhelming. However, if she is aware that she has entered the period of transition, she knows that the intensity has reached its peak, that she will not have to endure anything greater, and that she will soon see her child delivered.

The difference between the mother who understands transition and the one who doesn't is profound. Knowing the rhythms of the cycle, the informed mother can stay focused and as relaxed as possible. She keeps participating in the Creative Process mentally, emotionally, and physically. This helps the delivery go smoothly and relatively quickly. This ease will transfer to the child in two ways. First, the blood transfer (the last before birth) will contain no toxins of upset feelings. Second, as the natural pulsations of her birth canal push against the soft, flexible bones of the child's skull, a proper "wave action" of spinal fluid is established in the child. This is a critical rhythm the child needs for early neural development.

The uninformed mother tends to abandon the process, giving way to panic, anger, and helplessness. Toxins enter her blood stream which get transferred to the child, and her emotional and mental tension tightens her muscles, which can slow the delivery and make it more uncomfortable. Then she might call for anesthetics, which can have an adverse effect on the child. Spinal fluid rhythms cannot get properly established, and other patterns of mother-child interaction tend to get disoriented.

The mother who feels panic and hopelessness would no doubt stop the whole process of childbirth if she could. The intensity would be so great, with no sign of relief in sight, that she would want to walk away from this seemingly endless build-up. How often do we have the tendency to walk away from the emotional intensity of our situations, especially when they are unclear or in transition? "Walking away" from emotional intensity can take many forms: blaming others for the discomfort, becoming depressed or self-critical, numbing ourselves through drugs or apathy, or even leaving the situation for others to clean up. Through such patterns of reaction, many creative cycles in our lives get impaired or aborted. And just like the uninformed mother above, it is all the more tragic because it tends to happen just before the "birth" of something new and purposeful.

Knowing in advance about patterns of rising and falling intensity can be reassuring. Of course, this is not always possible. In any event, the only real insurance anyone ever has for being prepared to meet intensity is to have plenty of positive experience handling all the little creative processes of daily living. Even the most detailed advance notice of what to expect in a situation cannot take the place of simply being a substantial person who has a sense of welcome, assurance, and willingness to see the cycle all the way through. This requires a basic trust in life's Creative Process, which after all is running the entire cosmos!

It could be said that stewarding the Creative Process is simply dealing with what is obvious. There is purpose waiting to be fulfilled, and that can only be discovered by working with natural rhythms rather than forcing things to happen "my way or else." Sensitivity to where one is in the sequence (and keeping check on how one feels about it) is the key to success. This applies to parenting and education, as well as professional endeavors and personal growth. Everything from marriage to capital expenditures has its right time and place and rhythm. Managing oneself, rather than trying to mold the process, gets the job done effectively and creatively for all concerned.

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