Creativity on Demand: How to Ignite and Sustain the Fire of Genius by Michael J. Gelb

Author:Michael J. Gelb [Gelb, Michael J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sounds True
Published: 2014-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

Strengthening your confusion endurance is also a matter of changing your expectations. If you want to be more creative, and you understand that, by definition, something creative is unknown, then you begin to expect and embrace the unknown rather than avoiding it.

Creators on Qi

Vanda North

Former president of the International Society for Accelerated Learning and Teaching, author, and international business consultant Vanda North is a powerhouse of creative energy. She enthuses, “I’ve been a student of various forms of qi cultivation throughout my life. There are several internal factors that are important to awaken the flow of qi to cultivate creativity, but mindset is most critical. Self-concept, self-talk, motivation, and confidence all interact, either synergistically or antagonistically, to profoundly influence the quality of our lives and our ability to create.”55

North utilizes a simple eight-minute process (one minute for each of the eight steps) that she developed with her colleague Richard Israel for strengthening the creative mindset.

The first two steps get your body and mind attuned and ready for optimization: Breathe into your belly, allowing it to expand as you inhale and settle back as you exhale. Then attend to the present moment. Look at a second hand on a timepiece and think of the word one for a full minute. When an intruding thought arises, move up a number. Notice what number you reach by the end of the minute. The object is to keep your “score” at one.

The next two steps involve a review of your mindset and performance: First, look back over the past twenty-four hours to see where you might have acted or spoken in a more positive, helpful, or creative manner. Count these times on your nondominant hand. Next, look back over the past twenty-four hours to see where you did perform in a positive, helpful, or creative way. Count these times on your dominant hand.

The next two steps focus on preparing for optimization: First, check in with your breathing, bodily sensations, and feelings in this moment. Next, draw in creative energy as you inhale deeply into your belly, and as you exhale, release any remnants of stress. Focus on the attitudes and qualities you wish to embody.

The final two steps focus on envisioning the future you desire: First, project ahead over the next twenty-four hours. How would you like to think, feel, and act? Create a positive vision of your upcoming day. Then bask in a sense of gratitude for all that you have received and may receive. Gratitude strengthens your immune system, improves your mood, and inspires the healthy flow of qi.

North comments, “This process arose as a response to very stressful circumstances in my life. My relationship with the person who I thought was my life partner disintegrated, my business of twenty years went into liquidation, and my closest and dearest relative died. Facing my sixtieth birthday, I had to dig deep for creative solutions to many problems. Although I struggled for many months with confusion, hurt, and anxiety, I knew that cultivating qi was the key to survive and thrive.

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