Preparing Our Day for Creativity
Most people have a concept of themselves as to whether they are creative or not. Those who think they are not creative, don’t see the entry door. Maybe what they don’t realize is that creative people set up the correct approach and environment.
Creativity has certain demands. It needs a quiet nervous system. A body in the anxiety mode cannot access the creative brain waves. What does this mean? Creativity occurs in the Theta and Alpha brain wave states of approximately 12 hertz. Then comes the Beta wave state which exists when we are actively doing. After that in the above 30 hertz brain wave state we are anxious which stimulates cortisol and calm thinking is difficult.
How to Get in the Calm State Necessary for Creativity
The creative person has learned how to access the calmer states. When we meditate, we are in the creative mode. When we sleep we lower our brain waves. This might be why we often wake with an epiphany. Our subconscious, intellect, and right brain can work together to solve problems that are floating in our subconscious.
Our subconscious loves to solve problems after we have gathered all the necessary information. Then our subconscious might go to work and bring the solution to bear when we are on a walk, in the shower, or otherwise distracted. A creative person knows how to create the right time to allow this process to occur.
What Are Some Other Necessary Practices to Be Creative?
I find some other good practices are important to prevent living in anxiety and killing the creative mood. I like to be in good health. I like to live within my means. I don’t procrastinate and let an obligation dominate my mind from not working on it. I like to have all my relationships in good order. I exercise regularly and usually daily. I try for a good night’s’ sleep.
Can you see how all these practices might lead a person to feel more comfortable and reduce anxiety sources. Then I work on creative tasks first thing in the morning after a refreshing night’s sleep and before the day intrudes on my time. I now know that first thing in the morning is my creative time and my whole system prepares from the routine of this process. Creativity is my first time block.
Flow is the Magic Ingredient that Makes us the Most Creative
The process of creativity is supported by getting into flow. This is man’s most creative state. The beauty of flow is it shuts down the prefrontal cortex which is our judgmental state. All great performances are performed in flow. Dopamine is stimulated to sustain the effort and make us feel rewarded.
Flow is engaging in a challenge in which we have mastered the fundamentals and can shut out distractions. Who needs to be in flow? A writer, a surgeon, a fighter pilot, an extreme athlete, a teacher, a speaker, an entertainer, an artist, and even a chef. In this state, we rise above thinking and let our subconscious, intellect, and right brain work together to create our best effort without self-criticism.
When I write, I am doing it first of all for myself. I enjoy the act of writing and I drop into flow to answer the question posed in the title. An extreme athlete can’t think in his process because thinking is too slow. He works on the instincts born of practicing. This is why soldiers are trained to react and not to think because they have honed all the right moves into muscle memory.
So, to get into flow, keep practicing your art. Master the fundamentals. Then you don’t have to think about them, just like typing. Once you have mastered the fundamentals and engage, you can move forward to enjoy the process of what you are working on. Flow is addictive and everyone who enjoys is addicted to keep returning. Flow is the target of those who create for gamers. Kids stay in flow for hours.
So, we have created the necessary parameters and environment to have a creative block. The final ingredient for most people in flow is they are passionate about what they are doing. They live to engage in their passion. Dropping into flow is easier when you love what you are doing.
Creativity might be the most valuable contribution we make. The world lives for new ideas and solving problems. It makes us more competitive. It gives us the edge. It makes us a leader. It is usually the most exciting part of any quest.
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As a Thriving Worker Consultant, I can engage in conversations with employers on how to begin the process of helping workers thrive and reach peak performance. It begins with a conversation to see how far an organization is willing to go to change the culture for workers.
Great practices for daily living can be learned with the Markap Series of Books. If your organization would like live presentations or Zoom meetings, they can be arranged for small to large groups.
