Creativity is a way of being in which life feels new and fresh in each moment. It is marked by exploration and experimentation.
This creative way of being is one in which there is deep sense of emergence and presence. Emergence is the experience of fresh perception, new perspectives and spontaneity. In presence we are open and receptive to ourselves and others, with the capacity to connect. In presence we let go of judgements and expectations. We experience the world ‘as if for the first time’.
A story is told of a magical water of life that wished to emerge onto the earth and so began to bubble up in a well. There it flowed effortlessly and there was no limit to its supply. People came to drink the water and were nourished and healed by it. It was clean and pure and gave a sense of vitality to all who drank from it.
But soon people began to put a fence around the well to protect it. Some sought to buy the land from which it sprang. They made laws and put locks on the gates. Son, only the powerful people in society had access to the well. Only a few people benefitted from its life-giving properties.
The water was deeply angry and offended by this. It stopped flowing and began to bubble up elsewhere. But the people who controlled the well were so engrossed in the systems they had created around the well, that they didn’t even notice. They continued to sell the non-existent water and few noticed that the true power had disappeared.
But there were a small number who noticed something was off. Dissatisfied, they set off in search of a new well. Through their courage and tenacity, they found a fresh flow of water. But there again the same process happened. The property owners overtook it and sought to control it and off the spring went again to another place. This process has continued over and over again throughout history.
Reflection
The above story illustrates the idea of emergence well. When we can tap into a sense of aliveness and vitality within ourselves or in the world we are in touch with a source of creativity. There are times in our lives when the ‘well within’ feels a little dry. The challenge then is to find where the flow, ‘the water of life’, has moved to.
We can find this magical water within ourselves by noticing moments when we feel inspired, energised, excited or curious. What activities make you feel alive? What places, people or subjects fill you with enthusiasm? What interests or topics fascinate you? When you find yourself engaged in an activity that absorbs you or you lose track of time this is a good sign that you have found this flow.
Try
Try commit to doing more of (or beginning) an activity that makes you feel passionate or enthusiastic. Try also spending some time alone in nature and listening for the flow of the ‘well within’. What messages can you pick up on? What wants to emerge into the world through you?