Relinquishing Control of the Creative Process
The more you try to be creative, the more creativity will elude you. Trying to capture the creative impulse is like grabbing water in your hand—the tighter your hold, the less water you retain.
The human ego has a constant drive to control its environment. Secretly believing that it is the source of the universe, the ego willfully looks to change everything. From the ego’s perspective, it is the source of creative inspiration.
Consciousness and psychological research, however, has demonstrated that the ego actually blocks creative expression. The more humility you possess, the more you are able to get out of your own way. As the ego’s hold is minimized, your creative potential is realized.
Instead of attempting to control the creative process, let go trying to change anything.
As a Student, your job is to explore the problem from every angle. But then, the Wanderer must step in. In the state of the Wanderer, the creative genius surrenders to the problem to something beyond himself and awaits the Muse’s answer.
When confronted with a difficult problem, seek to understand the nature of the problem. But then, simply allow the problem to be there. Your creative output can soar.
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Scott,
Nice thought! This is very true in my experience and hard to do. Introducing a new story to our ego to explain the reality we observe seems to be a process that has worked for me in the past.