Yesterday I read a tweet from someone looking for advice about taking up meditation for creative reasons. I don’t know this person and I’m not sure what they were looking for, but it started me thinking on what I would say if he asked me directly.
Some of you may know that I lead meditation and writing retreats that are about reconnecting with our own creativity and, beyond that, with the moment of inspiration. And after all, what is creativity exactly, besides a continuous series of moments of inspiration? Which begs the questions: what is inspiration and where does it come from? Can my meditation practice help?
When it comes to the latter question, the answer is “absolutely” and “of course not.”
To get to the reason for this interesting dichotomy, let’s look at the former question: what is inspiration and where does it come from?
Begin by asking yourself: “If I had to come up with one word that was a euphemism for inspiration, what would it be?”
Perhaps you’ll come up with something like “motivated” or “connected” or “awed.”
Fascinatingly, wiktionary offers us this definition: To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration. And this: To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.
At no point is the definition offered: “to be clever” or “to impress.” Rather, the definitions allude to something far more simple, receptive, and intimate.
When I think of inspiration, the word that comes to me is “clarity.” Suddenly I see something that I hadn’t seen before—not because it wasn’t there, but because I simply hadn’t noticed it before. To me, this means that inspiration comes, not from conquering new horizons of thought or acquiring skills I had been lacking, but from relaxing into a more spacious view. This is why our most interesting inspirations almost always happen when we do not expect them, while showering, or dreaming, or driving. When we stop striving—even to be more creative, relaxed, or intelligent—moments of clear seeing are more likely.
Of course our meditation practice teaches this exact skill: that of relaxing our minds by resting attention on breath without agenda. The moment we apply an agenda to our meditation practice, even a great one like practicing in order to be more creative, its energy is drained. When we practice in a way that is both free and disciplined (the discipline of not applying an agenda), our innate brilliance is unleashed and in this way, mental and emotional innovations (aka inspiration) arise spontaneously.
One of the greatest teachers ever of the Enneagram (about which I am passionate), Chilean psychiatrist and brilliant thinker Claudio Naranjo, said about music, “Only repetition invites spontaneous innovation” and of course this is true of all the arts. You can’t sit down at your computer or pick up your guitar or paintbrush and command yourself to innovate. Much sloppiness results from such an approach, unless you just happen to get lucky. But we can do better than hoping to get lucky in art by learning to work with our minds skillfully and openly. Meditation is a very powerful way to do so—but only if it is practiced free from any and all agendas. At this point, one’s vision expands.
So, can meditation help you become more creative: Definitely. And no way.
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Aw, c’mon! We, the faithful 4000, appreciate your advice regardless of what you think your hair looks like.
Ha!! Now I know our love is true.
I have been silently following your blogs and enjoy them alot. This one triggered me to write as it is a topic that fascinates me. I feel inspiration often comes when you’re looking in the opposite direction.
Meditation has helped me to catch the inner critic at work and somehow transcend it. Seeing the inner voices of doubt and judgement have enabled me to rise above and just produce, despite the internal chatter…
Creativity is about freshness. To be truely creative there needs to be a fresh space where inspiration can emerge. Meditation helps to settle the clutter up there, that often fills the space of the mind and prohibits the arrival of new ideas.
I love the “definitely and no way”. I can certainly relate to both of those poles with respect to my own meditation practice and it’s connection to my creativity.
Thanks for your insights and sharing…
Nice to “meet” you! I share your fascination for this topic and appreciate your view that creativity is about freshness. Wishing you all best with your creative pursuits– S.
I was curious about this thought from your post:
“The moment we apply an agenda to our meditation practice, even a great one like practicing in order to be more creative, its energy is drained.”
How does that apply to the loving kindness meditation? Isn’t that mediation one with an “agenda”? I absolutely loved doing it and found it very powerful but I don’t understand the difference between that and meditating with an agenda to be more creative??
This is an excellent point, Cheri.
I think there is a difference between agenda and intention. At least the way I’m using it, “agenda” is about having a plan for an activity (such as meditation) before you even begin doing it. Such a plan shuts down the actual experience.
Intention is a simpler inner orientation that thrives on receptivity and curiosity.
Is this a useful distinction? Let me know.
That said, whether it’s an agenda and/or an intention, loving kindness is never a bad idea!! Kind of hard to wrong on that one.
With love, Susan
PS So glad you found the loving kindness meditation to be powerful. That is a wonderful thing. It is great to make a relationship to this practice and it sounds like you are a natural at it.
Your post today speaks to me loudly. It has taken me a long time, decades really to understand what love is. It is not neediness, it is not with any agenda. It has many faces, many levels, and they are infinite. Love is entirely generous and so when I meditate I simply do it for both my mind and body, no questions. Decades ago I had to ask myself very deep intimate questions, like do I even know love? Why can’t I respond with love?
Why do others not respond to me? Why can’t I ask for help? It seem like an eternity to discover all this. I can say now however, with great understanding that I have asked over and over and over for assistance. It requires putting the ego aside. You know that false pride thing. Even why am I so sensitive?, and now I love that I am this sensitive. I love that I feel everything and even that I can share this with you and all readers.
So love to you, love to life, love to everyone.
Kathy
Good morning. I realized this morning that I have kept bookmarked each and every posting, thinking I would revisit them at a future time, especially as your commentary was timely or moving or applicable or simply spot on.
I realized this morning that by doing so, I’m not trusting that the universe will send to me what I need to know – at this moment in time – in whatever situation I am in or struggle I am struggling with.
I felt a little freer knowing that I will sit with you (online) shortly, that your words will be internalized and that I can let it go and simply wait to see what comes next. Instead of trying to hold onto the hard copy, as if I would never have another inspirational one sent.
Just wanted to share. My moments of clarity seem to happen more often in your company (in cyberspace, but it still works!).
Namaste,
Sue
Hi,
This is my first time reading your blog. I’m a bedroom recording artist and amateur poet, or at least was at one point. It’s going on two years now that major depression began to choke me and my creativity. I tried a number of things to get my life and mind back in order: riding it out, self-analysis, moving to a new place, and eventually a number of different kinds of pharmaceuticals. Nothing worked. I had been flirting with the idea of meditating for awhile, but only actually started to try it this last week (with the aid of an excellent book – Sakyong Mipham’s Turning the Mind Into an Ally, if anyone is interested). Already I’m beginning to notice changes in the way I think, or maybe how I perceive my own thoughts. My main reason for turning to mediation was to relieve some of my mental suffering, but I also began to wonder if it might help give me my creative spark back. My search led me to this post.
It seems like you present a bit of a Catch-22 scenario here. You want to regain your creativity, but you can’t think about it. So you think about not thinking about it, which ultimately is the same thing. It’s these kinds of frustrating feedback-loop thoughts that led me down the drain in the first place.
Do you have any advice for me, or anyone like me?
Hi Dave. Nice to know you. And boy, you picked the right book. “Turning the Mind into an Ally” is so wonderful.
I totally understand your frustration. Thinking about thinking and not thinking and on and on–quite frustrating and fruitless. You can want to regain your creativity and you can think about it! I’m not suggesting that you not think about it. I’m just trying to say that the moments of greatest creativity and insight seem to arise from receptivity rather than cognition. Meditation is a brilliant way to cultivate receptivity.
Let me know what you think and I wish you well with your practice and your art– S.
Clarity is an excellent word to describe inspiration and creativity.
Standing in the closet (not something I do very often) in the middle of my house, I look to the north, but all I see is a door. I look to the east and west and find walls. To the south, I see winter coats and snow pants hanging in some haphazard fashion.
If I took away the door, I would see the kitchen. If I moved the refrigerator and the sink, I could see beyond to the field, and the little shed where I sometimes think of writing. But now the shed is blocking my view of the river and the fields beyond.
Working in this way, I can remove all of the obstacles that keep me from seeing the world clearly.
The snowsuits are still there in the closet beside me. The refrigerator is humming gently nearby. But now I see these things as they are, and also beyond these things to the world that my mind was distracted from (or that my mind distracted me from).
This is meditation, the stripping away of the layer, until things become more clear–thoughts, objects, ideas, voices. When I bring my mind back to stillness, I experience everything as it truly is, not as the stories and judgements that are usually running through my mind.