Creativity Myths & 'Wild Creativity'

Awhile back, during a discussion in my former CE Ryze forum, a friend and colleague shared word about Teresa Amabile's research on 'creativity in the wild' (Harvard Business School), which was featured in an article in Fast Company magazine (December 2004 edition).

Myth-busting -- assuming that 'myth' here means falsehood or outdated assumption/story that is no longer appropriate, and not the cultural storytelling tradition by which wisdoms are passed along  -- is a creative act in and of itself, it seems. Amabile is one of many who is asking different questions and bringing different perspectives to shake old assumptions and get people thinking and talking.

One topic that comes up is that of the 'creative dry spell', which is a vital part of the creative process. Our 'doing' and 'busy' culture focuses on the more active and visible aspects of creativity -- the tangible products, really -- and often assumes that 'dry spells' or voids or 'fallow times' are useless, bad, wrong, and somehow in need of 'filling in' or avoiding altogether. But there is no creative product without the creative void.

The creative 'dry spell' or fallow time is actually crucial, whether it appears as the 'empty space' that follows the actively creative period or the expression or birth of a creation; a rejuvenation time; and/or a receptive time or space in which we receive new seeds or insights of creativity and the gestation period begins anew.

This is the space in which we are open to receiving intuitive insights, or letting our minds 'wander' (hence making ourselves available to new and fresh rather than old and preconceived notions), etc. Nature, aka 'the wild', definitely shows us this. We just don't often listen to this particular bit of Natural Wisdom, or aren't comfortable allowing it in our own experience.

Another insight related to 'wild creativity' comes from this short excerpt from Cedrus Monte's article, "At the Threshold of Psycho-Genesis" (Chaos and Dark Feminine section):

"'Inner dynamic or process,' 'creativeness rather than creation' -- these are essential conditions of the Dea Abscondita (Sophia, feminine face of God, etc.), and by their very nature demand interaction with the uncertain and impermanent, with flux and chaos. The Dark Feminine side of God does not act through the rule of law, nor through rigid control; rather, it acts through the quality of wisdom and the profound ability to engage the unpredictable and the unknown."

That unpredictability, the 'not known', is very much a part of the 'inner wilds' from which creativity springs.

Have you found that in your most truly creative moments, you've tapped an inner wildness?

How comfortable are you allowing the chaos time that is required for true creativity?

What practices or non-practices help you to tap your inner Wilds and allow/experience creative chaos?

Until next time…
Jamie