THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY

Creativity is the higher aspect of mind that works for us above the ordinary levels of conscious thinking. This aspect of mind contrasts with our subconscious that works for us beneath the lower levels of thought.

Creativity is the source of imagination, inspiration and illumination. It is the source of creative thinking.

The subconscious is the part of the brain that controls all our bodily functions. It is the source of our instincts and ‘automatic’ reactions to events. It works on our behalf to keep our body in the best possible physical health and vitality. We have to play our part by paying attention to exercise, diet and protecting our body from physical harm.

In a similar way, we should protect our mind from harmful influences and ‘feed’ it with the knowledge it needs to work well for us. This care and attention on our part will enable the creative mind to work well on our behalf. It will sort the knowledge stored in long-term memory into those thoughts and ideas most appropriate to our creative needs at any given time.

If our memory bank is filled with fiction, fantasy, fears and misinformation then we can only be creative in those areas. This may be fine for a novelist or dramatist but real life situations need factual information.

In business for example, long-term memory should contain the facts, valid experience and knowledge needed to innovate new business and/or product ideas.

A designer, scientist or technologist will need a large store of relevant knowledge covering the various subjects in his or her field in order to accumulate sufficient creative material.

Creativity thus works in a ‘field of knowledge’. The depth, accuracy and range of knowledge we possess limits our creativity. But as the seven Attributes demonstrate, there is more to creativity than just knowledge. We must have the right attitude of mind, which is to be open to new ideas and a willingness to question what we know. It is to have an enquiring mind with a wide range of interests.

Motivation is a key factor in creativity. Adverse external circumstances will repress or inhibit our creative faculties unless we are positively motivated to prevent this happening.

Creativity comes from within the person. It is a very individual and subjective process. It is an expression of our natural personality. Creativity, like most things in life is what we ourselves make of it. Given the opportunity, the knowledge and encouragement, the creative mind will work to provide those thoughts and ideas needed to help us in every walk of life.

The method for developing our natural creativity is simplicity itself.

Always take notes, however briefly of creative thoughts and ideas as soon as possible after they come to mind.
Record time, place and activity in a pocket note book that is always at hand.
Transfer record to a personal notebook, record dates and state main subject(s) covered as a heading for each page.
Look out for a THEME IDEA from which other ideas will emerge and to which they can be connected in the record.
Allocate thoughts and ideas to a particular theme if possible.
Periodically review the record to identify your most creative times, activities and themes.

Notes on method;

Start small with any and all thoughts and ideas that have a special or original meaning or significance. We are not necessarily looking for inventions or world-changing ideas.
Be brief in note taking at first. Unless you have the time and space to ‘go with the flow’. In which case let the thoughts flow into your notebook.
Once a flow starts it may carry on way past the original subject. The key thoughts and ideas should be selected from the rest, which may well be superfluous.
The aim is to develop a Method that suits you. Recall that method is one of the seven Attributes.
Imagine the part of the head from which the ideas appear to come into your mind. Direct questions or ask for help with a particular problem to where you believe the source of ideas originates. Alternatively direct your questions to the crown of your head or your heart.
Once a satisfactory method has been achieved, follow it until you are completely satisfied and convinced that your creative mind exists and is working for you and with you.
Over a period of time you will begin to realise that you are getting valuable answers to real questions. Positive results will give you the confidence and ‘proof’ you need to use the method as a mind-developing process.
In this way you will eventually form a ‘Creativity Partnership’ with your creative mind that will last for the rest of your life.

|Creativity can only work with what it is given

|Method