A PERSONAL EXPLORATION OF THE CREATIVE EXPERIENCE - HTTP://GIOVANNIANDFRANCO.INFO -
We consider ideas that people often think about but seldom explore - ideas on how to remain authentic and be your real self. We define success as the realization of what you need to be and having the courage to become that person - this is what creativity is about.
If there is a secret to creating the so-called good life, it is having something to look forward to. However, this is only the first step. What you are looking forward to should have significant meaning not only to you, but also to those you serve - please note the word “serve.”
What often gets lost today is that most meaningful activity involves serving someone else other than seeing to your own needs. With all the advantages our society provides, there are still caveats. For one, we are developing a narcissistic culture that permeates everything we do.
There was a time when “being the best you can be” meant a life of service to others. I am sure there are many who will disagree with this, but I think the facts speak for themselves. Today, service usually means taking care of your needs first.
Of course, this is always well disguised as an altruistic endeavor. The premise is that by serving your personal needs first, you will be better prepared to minister to the needs of others later.
There is something to be said for the proverb “Physician, heal thyself,” but where is the line between selfishness and altruism.
That is for each of us to decide. How are you doing?
For one, we have to understand what we want to accomplish. Every day should have some early-on personal quiet time to evaluate and plan how you choose to use your time. I am not suggesting that every moment has to have some tangible productive outcome – but I am saying if you are going to do nothing at least do it well.
We always hear that if you try hard enough and never give up, you will be successful. Fact, or wishful thinking? What if you are one of the many hard-working souls that never gave up, but never reached the success you dreamed about?
Was it all for naught? Did you waste your time? I for one think you did not. Did you meet your basic responsibilities in your quest for greatness? If you did you fulfilled the one responsibility asked of all of us.
And let us not forget – you were in the arena. You tasted the elixir of greatness. Maybe it was only a taste, but in the process, you were alive and as a result – lived.
Some additional thoughts on creativity from Brother Franco
Late at night it occurs to me that within each of us sits a silent demon who prevents us from fulfilling our true talent. For many of us, this demon sits in blissful silence without our being conscious of its presence. For others, who may be more introspective, we are sensitive to its presence. Either way it sits there in the deepest recesses of our consciousness, lurking in the shadows doing its damage.
And what is this demon about? For each of us it is exclusively our own creation. Somewhere in our lives, some event or experience, created a latent destructive tendency that feeds our demon's existence. What do we do about it? The answer to this question will define the amount of success we achieve in our lives.
The real issue here is not whether you will be successful, but will you reach the success you were uniquely created for. My assumption here, based on years of experience and observation has led me to believe we each have a unique talent meant to be and in that realization, we make our contribution to life and to the time in which we live.
In some lives, the demon is obvious and clearly destructive. However, this is not the case for most. For many, their demon hides in the darkness, never being completely destructive, but still doing its damage.
One unerring sign that your demon still remains in control is the nagging feeling that something is not right, even though by most standards, you and others believe your life to be successful. The feeling, however, may not always be there. For many, it lurks in stillness, its presences keeping you locked in place, a silent and effective brake to complete fulfillment.
Your particular demon may seem to have a life of its own - its existence independent of yours, as if it were a different being or presence. However, nothing is further from the truth. Your demon exists because you allow it to exist. For each of us, we are the ones who give it its power; we feed its existence by our lack of courage to embrace completely our unique talent and allowing it to exist.
Why is a lack of courage always the culprit? More than likely because when we allow our unique talent to exist openly with in full bloom it, exposes who we are. For many, this will seem and sound strange.
However, when we are willing to be fully introspective and be honest with ourselves, we come to understand that when we live to the fullest, we reveal to the world who we are. The masks drop away, and the real self stands alone.
What awaits those who have the courage to fully live? I would like to say obvious success. Unfortunately, that is not guaranteed. To live fully and openly has its risks, and some are very real and not always easy to face.
However, we do know this: The sole chance to be complete is to allow your unique talent to prosper. This is the only road to true contentment. Please note the word contentment rather than happiness - happiness is for the immature. For those who have experienced life and know its perils, we are quite willing to seek contentment as our goal.
The day was like all other days – or was it? Every once in a while a bit of doubt sets in. Is this really like all other days? Happy endings – or just the end?
There is always the possibility that this is the last day. For untold numbers on this mortal coil the day and life will end – often uneventful, and for most of the world – unnoticed.
I never let this thought linger to long – even though it can be a useful short reflection – it can either move you to get going, or get ready to go – your choice.
Today I would like to explore more ideas on how each of us can become more creative. I need to remind everyone that this is an exploration only. I make no pretensions that I have all the answers, or that we are going to solve every problem as take this journey.
I am proceeding from the assumption that we are all naturally creative and that somewhere in the process of our daily living; we lose this natural ability. And that does not mean we are automatons, simply going through our regular routine. Most of us still act as intelligent people and perform the necessary functions for a reasonably successful life.
However, as we mature, the creative static that is always in our consciousness grows louder, and demands to be heard. The status quo is no longer good enough, and we know we need to make changes if we are to become the person we were meant to be.
We also know that the changes we need to make will only come about if we become more creative in our approach to every aspect of our lives. For those who have experienced this, little explanation is necessary. We know this nagging sensation that something is not right.
Before we can continue we need to define what being creative is and if there is actually a process that can be standardized for all of us. I’m not sure there is. So we need to proceed cautiously from this point and make sure we understand everything that is discussed can only be applied individually and by no means presumes there is some magic formula at work here. There is not.
First, we must realize that being truly creative is rare. There are only so many Michelangelo’s, Leonardo da Vinci’s and Einstein’s. This type of creativity belongs to the rarefied few. So where does that leave you and me? For most of us, creativity will be defined as what is new to us if not necessarily to the world.
Each hour of everyday we discover something new. This may apply only to us and no one else. However, this does not diminish in any way these events. Newness for us may be simply rediscovering the old in a different way. That is often enough to give us a creative insight into a more imaginative world. So as we said in our previous episodes, creativity begins by being observant and habitually conscious of what you are experiencing. It has been said quite simply: “We must always focus on the present to be fully appreciative of the world we know.”
While this statement is easily understood, we also know that it is often impossible to do. However, what we all can do is increase our conscious effort to see the subtlety in the obvious. As we come to appreciate what is in front of us rather than constantly being distracted by other thoughts and events, we begin to recapture our innate creativity.
So begin this very minute to be more observant of the moment and appreciate the significance of the wonders that surround you. No matter what your situation, you can start by being aware of your gift of consciousness.
Next: How do we define creativity within the context our personal experience?
When you talk about creativity you have to deal with the notion that while the word seems easily understood, it often means different things for each of us. In the truest sense creativity usually means to make something that is brand-new, something never seen before. Does this mean that in order to be creative we must have an idea, concept or product that is completely new? For some, the response is yes. And for some this actually happens, they do conceive of something new.
However, what about the rest of us? For the average person the concept of being creative gets lost somewhere between adolescence and adulthood. As we have mentioned before, the need to conform, the need for affirmation from our peers and in our work, all create a type of conformity in our behavior that while not necessarily bad, does not necessarily lead to a creative lifestyle.
So can those of us in this group expect to be artistic? Let’s start with the question is creativity the province of the artist, or can any activity regardless of what it is have a creative aspect? For me, I believe all activity can be imaginative. Creativity is often a state of mind, a willingness to experiment, a willingness to be open to new ideas and new events.
Obviously this is easier said than done. We certainly can understand this idea intellectually, but to grasp its full significance emotionally is very difficult for some of us. A person can be inventive in virtually every endeavor they undertake. As an example, cleaning a house can be a creative experience. Let me give you an example.
I had a recent experience where I was able to watch a professional housecleaner at work. I could not help but notice the vigor and passion with which she approached her work. Not only was she very good at it, she seemed to get great satisfaction from doing it well. Everything she did had a creative aspect to it.
One thing you observed after she was finished; the room she worked on seemed to shine. That shine she left behind was as definitive as the signature of the artist on the completed painting. The same area had been cleaned many times before by others, and even though they did their job well, the result did not have the shine, that something special that was there after she finished. I could not help but consider the question: What was the difference?
The lesson here for me is clear. Virtually everything we do can be artistic. Creativity is not limited to the so-called artist, a person who is skilled in one of the fine arts. Everything that we do in our life, no matter how trivial it may seem to us, can be done with a creative spirit. For reasons stated before, this is a very difficult concept for those who have lost their way to accept.
Why don’t we try this? I would like each of us to consider how resourceful we actually are on a daily basis. What’s spirit do we bring to each of our daily chores? Have we become so habitual in our everyday functions that we are simply going through life as a robot, habitually doing what is necessary?
If so how do we rekindle our natural facility to be creative?
To be continued………..
Brother Giovanni
Next: Creativity for many of us is often about rediscovering the old in a new way.
For the artist, introspection is fundamental to their work. Without introspection and the authenticity you hope it creates; your work is merely a reflection of the world in which you live. This may be good enough for the outside world, but it will never bring into being the complete personal success that every artist seeks.
To seek your personal reality through introspection, and then act with the personal courage it requires to make it happen is the path to authenticity.
And there is no greatness or integrity without authenticity. We often confuse greatness with fame. That is not what we are considering here. The personal honesty we need to feel within ourselves is vital for the completion of our artistic journey. It may only be known to us. And in the end that will be enough.
The layperson always presumes that for the artist to be successful, you also need to make a living from your art. This is an overwhelming consideration of the mechanistic and material world in which we live. But what about the art that is created everyday independent of the world’s eyes and praise, does this make the work less authentic or worthy? How much great art exists today, not because it brought fame within the lifetime of the artist, but because the art survived antiquity and was eventually discovered.
Even so, every artist, known or unknown also knows there are times of doubt and insecurity that threaten your artistic perspective if not your very existence.
So what do you do about it? The one thing you can do, you keep going. However, before you start again, a moment of introspection helps here.
A legitimate question is “Do I just keep going?” The answer for me is always a resounding yes. Even if no one else ever sees what I am doing it is necessary for me to continue. It is what keeps me vital. It keeps me informed and moving forward in my life and in my thinking. It keeps my mind relevant and alive.
If creating your art allows this to be, all else falls into place, and you remain true to yourself.
So how do you materially survive? The way most artists have survived from the beginning of time. You find work that provides for your material and personal responsibilities that still allow you to create.
Sometimes the work is related to the area of art you practice – often it is not. However, regardless of the type of work that it is - it must allow you the time and resources to continue to produce your art.
Finally, always remember we must seek with all the courage of our being - authenticity. Our work can only be vital to ourselves and others if we are authentic. Our words and works must carry the power of truth. It can be ugly or beautiful, but it must be authentic – nothing else will do.
And let us never forget our art has significance simply because it is our work - our creation. That should be enough – and most of the time it is.
So we are left with the same task. Let it fly – let it all happen. Regardless of what transpires you will always know you had the courage to be honest with yourself.
In the end that may be the only thing that matters.
Vera V. Veronica, commenting for “Musings” – a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, editor
Conjectures of a recovering dilettante - random thoughts while waiting for a rainy day.
February 2015
As the years go by you realize so much of your life is shaped by accidental events that require you to react to them, the notion of planning and shaping your life into something meaningful becomes a non-sequitur.If this be true, then what is left?The answer to the question is for a lifetime to reveal.
We hear so much of goals and how important they are to finding success.Secretly, I sometimes think that so much of our stress is grounded in chasing goals for which we have neither the inclination nor aptitude.
We humans have so much difficulty in accepting the natural talents we were given in our DNA.As you observe people over the years it becomes clear that many of us are working against the natural talents we have been given. We are spending our days doing things that don’t make us comfortable or fulfilled.Why?The question has perplexed me for years.
I suspect it starts with the initial impressions we are all left with from our childhood.The need for acceptance teaches us early on that the affirmation we seek comes from fulfilling the wishes and needs of the prominent adults in our lives.As we grow older the desire for affirmation transfers to the adult institutions in our lives: our cultural values, our work place, our church, our select group of friends and always present,the imprint within us shaped by our early years with our families.
As the years go by the imprints are too grounded to change. And we are left with what should have been.
Of course, all of these involvements create the filter by which we judge and view all of the feelings and activities we experience in our journey to the end.This filter shapes our particular prejudices and perspectives, both individually and collectively.
While this seems so obvious, it also remains obscure.Primarily because it is the subtle, but always present static that plays in the background of our thinking process. We become so used to its presence it numbs us into submission and deludes us with its illusory, virtuous resignation. We grow so use to its presence we ignore its significance.However, we do so at our own peril.
There is a noted exception to this model. There are a few among us who see correctly and know what they do to survive and meet their daily responsibilities is essentially what gives their lives meaning. Their lives become a process, if not glamorous - certainly a justifiable means to an end. They do not embellish, or try to justify their activities in “service for society” or other grandiose terms.
Their means to an end becomes their justification, and stoic acceptance of this fact creates for them its own begrudging affirmation. Though they may not be completely free; they may be the freest among us. And that is worth a great deal.
Frank John Franco, commenting for "Musings" a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network
I recently attended a meeting that was supposed to generate new ideas for rejuvenating an older product that had lost much of its luster and was fading fast in the market place. I am afraid I was not a good participate since halfway through the meeting I started thinking about the idea of creativity and what it was really about.
I was in a room occupied by very intelligent people, all reasonably accomplished or they would not have been there. They all seemed very focused on finding a creative solution that would bring this product back to life.
I became fascinated how each person viewed and perceived the creative process. Instead of keeping my mind on the subject the following thoughts became pervasive, and I could not purge them from my consciousness. After a few minutes of frustration, I gave in and here is what I began to think about.
It occurred to me that creativity worked on many different levels. For some, the few, they were meant to create. For others such as myself, we are the synthesizers. Our creativity, if that is what we choose to call it, is to interpret and understand what has been done. Someone has to put the discoveries into the context of understanding. That is the role of teacher, to bring it all together in some understandable form. We are to make the parts a whole - that is our job.
This always begs the question, what is creativity? Does it only apply to activities that bring new discoveries into being - ideas or things that have never been seen or contemplated before? If the definition of creativity is to be this narrow, few of us are truly creative. Can the synthesizers be truly creative? For our benefit let’s hope so.
If we do our work well, we bring into relevance and understanding what has been discovered. For us this in “the new,” this is our discovery, our creativity. When I use the world “teacher” I am not only referring to those who toil in the classroom, but also to those who mentor individuals within their given communities.
Within each of us is the power of discovery. It is a force within consciousness that we all possess. It is fueled by curiosity and the ability to be aware. One caveat seems to exist for each of us and that is the power and limit of our natural curiosity, since curiosity is the fuel that drives the need for making the pieces fit.
If we allow this process to exists, it becomes clear that this is a natural development of our ability to think and relate to our environment. It starts the minute we open our eyes for the first time. Even though the infant has no sense of place or time, each new life begins by trying to understand the world they are entering. Obviously, they are not fully conscious of the process, but simple observation of a new born child can see that the process of trying to understand has started.
So if this is such a natural process, regardless of whether you are truly a creative person or a synthesizer, what happens to us as we grow older that allows such a natural process to become so stilted?
Why has simply being observant and to the best of your ability speaking out in a clear and unassuming way become so difficult. A child has no such problem. They simply blurt out what they see without filters and without malice. For better or worse we are getting the truth as they perceive it. It seems the first principle of the creative process is that it has to be authentic.
Granted, unlike the child, we have to be civil in how we phrase our words, but this is a process that we learn very early, and it should not be an obstacle that prevents us from sharing our best work honestly and directly.
As to the meeting, there was no magic this time. It seems like all good things and people, they do end. And such was the fate of this wonderful product that had served so well. I must confess I have witnessed the same result with so many good people I have had the privilege to know.