The Mind is a powerful tool for creation, but are you using your mind in a creative way that serves you?
Many light-bulb moments have culminated in us being able to see into the night, deep into space and our minds.
But how we create with our mind is more than these fleeting illuminating moments. All that has been created by humans was first envisioned as Thought.
We are constantly imagining.
Whether that is the past, present or the future, we are envisioning ourselves, others and our world. We can’t help ourselves.
I would go further, in saying that, we don’t live in reality, rather we live in the reality that we envisage.
So, if this faculty of thought and imagination creates our experience of life, it would be wise to examine how we’re doing that, and whether we are using our mind in a creative way that serves us.
What is the quality of mind that is at the helm? And is it dreaming a dream, we actually want to live in?
Figuring it out
As Albert Einstein, is reported to have said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” Meaning the same thinking that created the problem cannot produce the solution.
But this is what we constantly try to do, banging our heads against the proverbial wall!
Figuring it out can only get you so far.
We need to examine our thinking and our thought processes which constitute our programming, because unless we do that, we’ll continue to get the same results in different guises.
We must look at which mind we are using. Perhaps what is required is to utilise a greater intelligence. Is it our neurotic paranoid ego mind, or our centred connected creative wise mind?
Often truly novel thinking is not thinking at all, it is being in the space where the solution arises.
Reintegrating our Intelligence
The world we’re living in today, has problems because we do not use all of our intelligence. We’re often operating in a sort of disembodied, isolated vacuum, where we do not include our bodies, emotions and spirit in our intelligence.
We’ve made rational logical thinking a God and forgotten to sense and feel. Hence, we live disconnected from ourselves, each other and the planet, because the rational mind is unable to really connect using concepts alone.
We are conscious, sensing, feeling, thinking beings. Our brain and its evolution reflects this in its various layers. However, it seems we’ve forgotten about what came before.
First and foremost we are Awareness. That is the ground of our Being.
As Awareness we are the same as other beings. This is not just a concept, but something you can experience. You can experience yourself as Awareness and in that recognition, recognise your sameness.
I believe we need to reintegrate all these aspects of our intelligence so that we creatively use our minds to live our everyday lives with greater harmony.
See the Unity, Feel the Love!
Space of Not Knowing
The concept of Creativity fascinates me. I want to know how it works!
What is it? Where does it come from?
There is a popular diagram about “Knowing”. It’s more or less this:
Looking at it, it’s obvious that truly original thoughts are likely to be found in the sector “Things you don’t know, you don’t know”.
But how do you access what you don’t know you don’t know? To me it seems likely, that thinking cannot directly get you there, since all thinking is based on what you already know.
“Don’t know, I don’t know”, is an empty space, a receptivity, and new ideas can only occur in that space.
It’s like by resting in what you don’t know, and being comfortable there, relaxing, you notice the spark of something you hadn’t before.
Try it out!
“Don’t know what you don’t know.”
“Rest in Silence.”
Be bemused.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to not know? In western culture, it is something that is positively discouraged!
You can reside in the ground of your consciousness as Awareness, and within that space new knowledge arises.
When we access this Awareness, we tap into the Source of Creativity, rather than working with what has already been created.
Blank Canvas of Awareness
Awareness is the foundation and space in which Thought occurs, the blank canvas on which we paint our reality and creations through Thought.
The more we rest here, the more original, connected and creative our thoughts become.
It’s like we become free from all we’ve created before, to imagine anew, without limits and opening to infinite possibility, inspiration and intuition.
We think that when we think more, we are more creative, but actually the opposite is often true!
Reside in the un-manifest space, the formless, and allow new forms to come through. We have no idea, and with that, all ideas are possible.
Awareness of Genius
The creative use of the mind is to contact the Universal and the wholeness of who we are, the Big Mind, rather than only our individuality. When we do, we channel that greater expression into the individual.
In this podcast, Eckhart Tolle puts it like this , “Rest in Awareness and let Presence use you”.
In this way, we can be a channel for the Divine, the Un-manifest, and open to Inspiration and Intuition.
Coming back to our centre, our undifferentiated aspect, our Genius, the Infinite Intelligence that is the organising principle behind, and within everything that exists, shines through.
When we move back to Awareness rather than incessantly thinking, we can access knowledge, knowing even without understanding.
The more we do this, the more that even our individuality gets transformed.
Presence uses you as a channel
Are you Listening?
Presence is a kind of listening. When you’re thinking, you’re generating thoughts in the form of words, that make up your mental chatter. It’s like you’re speaking in a way, without vocalising the words.
The next time you’re having a conversation with someone, you can observe this in action. Even when you’re quiet and ‘listening’ to the other person, you’ll probably notice, you’re not actually listening quietly. You have a lot to say in your head while the other person is speaking, in the form of your mental narrative.
In order to really listen, you need to hear the words of the other, and be aware of all this commentary happening simultaneously within you, then you’ll really be listening, from Silence.
This is Presence, the Silent space within which is quietly witnessing everything, Awareness.
In that space, zoomed out, where a complete picture is available, you begin to connect the dots and new interesting ideas spring up. If you reside in that place, you’ll be surprised by the inspired words that come out of your mouth!
Who’s that Voice?
By beginning to pay attention, you’ll start to notice this more or less constant chatter, a slightly neurotic narrative, which is akin to a voice-over in a Woody Allen movie.
Is this voice you? Most people believe that it is. It has an opinion on everything, and everyone, including yourself! So, who’s talking to who? Sounds like insanity to me.
This voice is not you! It is an impostor, a fictional made-up character, which is telling you how to interpret the movie of your life.
By bringing it into view, you’ll see the filter through which you experience your life, and how that influences your experience, and in turn, the life you create.
Your life moves from being at the whim of the neurotic narrator to being the Presence, which directs your experience of the movie.
Simply Create
To use the mind in a creative way is quite simple. It just boils down to a couple of things.
- However you look at it. No matter the mechanism, the mind creates. It creates your life. Although, we tend to focus on action, a greater part of the creation happens in the mind.
- Create what you want and not what you don’t want. This means thinking about what you want and not dwelling on what you don’t want.
If you believe that the first is a fact, then you should look into the second, and how you’re creating with your mind.
To do that, you should ensure your mind is in a neutral receptive relaxed state, doing whatever it takes to first bring your mind to this condition.
Next, we should be careful of what we choose to focus on, since where we put our attention is our experience.
We can move our focus from what’s broken and a problem, to observing what’s actually currently working in our lives, since we are experiencing and creating from our inner reality, rather than something objective.
You could say that we constantly imagine our life into being, so it would make sense to imagine what we actually want to see.
To move from complaining to appreciation, is to jump from the nightmare to the dream
Creative Flow
What if we could go through life with our minds in harmony with our deepest selves and life?
If our minds could be in such a state of Flow, what would it look like?
I’m imagining a mind which is wise, encouraging and inspiring, optimistic, confident, content, appreciative, aware, mindful of the present moment, kind, empathic, compassionate, joyful, lighthearted, full of humour, creative and adaptable, always learning and constructive.
Such a mind would be characterised by a healthy, balanced, and constructive approach to life’s experiences. It embodies habits and thought patterns that promote well-being, resilience, and a fulfilling life.
I think such a mind would be mostly in the present, rather than dwelling with regret or nostalgia on the past, or being anxious about the future.
By being aware of what’s happening in the moment including our own cognitive processes, in this state of Presence, it would offer the most useful thoughts in the moment.
Like a jazz musician, in Creative Flow, spontaneously improvising and jamming with life, integrating listening and speaking, being and doing.
To live in this state, we need to pay attention, allowing our incessant internal dialogue to relax and quieten down, perhaps not even not thinking so much, but allowing our mind to be receptive and to respond to the moment. Living more in a mindful state of conscious awareness.
Awaken your Creative Mind
We hold the key to boundless creativity and the potential to shape our reality. Our thoughts, whether conscious or subconscious, are the architects of our experiences, painting the canvas of our lives with every brushstroke of imagination.
To harness the true power of our creative mind, we must learn to move beyond the confines of habitual thinking and enter the realm of pure awareness. By becoming attuned to the present moment and resting in a state of mindful awareness, we open ourselves to a deeper intelligence that transcends the limitations of our ego-driven thoughts.
This state of Presence allows us to connect with the infinite source of creativity, where novel ideas and inspired solutions arise effortlessly. It is in this space of not knowing, where the mind is quiet and receptive, that we can access our true genius.
As we reintegrate our intelligence, embracing not just the rational mind but also our emotions, body, and spirit, we move towards a more holistic and harmonious way of living.
This integrated intelligence promotes a deeper connection with ourselves, each other, and the world around us, enabling us to create a reality that is not only more aligned with our desires but also more compassionate and sustainable.
Shifting our focus from the incessant mental chatter to the silent, observing presence within, we free ourselves from the constraints of past conditioning and open up to a future brimming with possibilities.
The mind, when used creatively, is not just a tool for solving problems, but a gateway to the extraordinary.
Embrace the Silence. Awaken Creativity.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
