This is extracted from an article by the Barefoot Doctor, who writes in the Observer newspaper. His article on creativity struck a chord with me, and I thought it was worth sharing:
Does the idea of creativity elicit the response of "that's something for
other people who haven't got more important things to do"? Everyone is
an artist or potential artist of some kind. The artistic or creative faculty
is built into the circuitry as a preset in your DNA. That you may not yet
have found the relevant command to activate it, or perhaps found it only to
lose it again, is probbly down to faulty conditioning by those in charge of
your education.
The expression of the creative urge as some form of artistic offering to be
enjoyed by others was considered by the ancient Orientals to be vital to
one's wellbeing, not just emotionally, spiritually and psychologically, but
also physically and energetically. They adhered to a concept known as
mastering the 'five excellences', which comprised the arts of meditation,
self-defence, healing, composition and presentation skills. A well-rounded,
masterful individual was seen as one conversant in all five.
During the act of composing a piece of art, whether visual, filmic, sonic,
literary, performance-oriented or indeed any other creativity-carrier of
your choice, you ideally enter a quasi-meditative or contemplative state.
The necessary ego-voiding process involved allows your local mind precious
moments of repose from the pressures of daily responsibilities, which helps
slow your pulse and is generally good for energy flow and, by extension,
immune response. This process also implies a certain degree of conscious
union with the a-priori creative force, which tends to deepen your
moment-by-moment experience of life in much the same way as does meditation,
yoga or t'ai chi.
In the execution or presentation of your piece you take a risk that others
may deride you or your work. It requires courage to risk rejection and
humiliation, making the act of carrying something through to thi stage
subtly exhilarating and self-esteem-building. It implies that you love or at
least like yourself enough to spend time nurturing yourself. Moreover, it is
at these times during which your overworked mind takes a brief holiday that
some of your most original, important and life-changing ideas will emerge.
The biggest block to healthy and healing creative expression is the belief
in an imaginary internal critic, who sits poised like a monkey on your
shoulder ready at all times to tell you what you're doing is worthles and
wrong. Overriding the critic is essential not only for bringing works of art
to completion, but also for ensuring peace of mind in general. The other
block you'll have to surmount is impatience. It takes a long time and
consistent application to develop a reliable creative channel and the skill
interpret and shape the information coming through into a form worthy of
sharing.
Finally, remember creativity can be applied to every aspect of your life,
including the way you relate to yourself and others, the way you organise
your timetable and the places you choose to spend your time in.
