Solve Your Problems with Creativity

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, creativity is:

“the ability to produce original and unusual ideas, or to make something new or imaginative.”

According to Rick Rubin:

“Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us.”

— Rick Rubin. The Creative Act.

One of the mind’s primary functions is focusing on chosen goals. Another is letting creativity happen. Despite common beliefs, creativity isn’t solely for creatives and ‘people of art.’ It’s our mightiest tool for problem-solving and accomplishing goals.

Whether you’re improving yourself, building a business, or creating a product, all involve (some) preliminary decision-making and plenty of creativity. And all can be works of art.

According to any book on Western Esotericism, practitioners are ‘actual creatives,’ whereas artists — ‘accidental practitioners.’ Especially when considering that the work’s very nature is:

‘causing changes to occur in conformity with Will.”

Which includes problem-solving and achieving goals.

Decision-Making

Engaging your ‘creative engine’ becomes possible after making the right decisions, which we’ll discuss further. After you do so, the mind can alternate between intense focus and relaxation, enabling creativity to happen at any moment of the day.

While essential, conscious thinking can only do so much. It jump-starts and slightly assists the process with the right decisions. It also gathers needed information, considering outcomes beforehand.

Surrender

For actual creativity to kick in, you must surrender to the process, giving up the lust for results. This means thoroughly engaging with reality, living in the present moment as if there’s nothing else. According to William James:

“(…) once a decision is reached and execution is the order of the day, dismiss absolutely all responsibility and care about the outcome. Unclamp, (…), your intellectual and practictal machinery, and let it run free; and the service it will do you will be twice as good…”

“It is but giving your little private convulsive self a rest and finding that a greater Self is there. The results, slow or sudden, great or small, of the combined optimism and expectancy, the regenerative phenomena that ensue on the abandonment of effort, remain firm facts of human nature…”

— William James. The Gospel of Relaxation

The Journey

This means enjoying the ride and focusing on solving the small tasks that make the final solution. It implies keeping yourself in flow states as much as possible.

— Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines those as:

“a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”

— Mihaly Csikszentmihaliyi. Flow

Entering Flow

Flow states are often explained as the middle ground between boredom and anxiety. DePaul University’s Owen Schafer recognizes several conditions as mandatory for entering them:

• Knowing what to do;
• Knowing how to do it;
• Knowing how well you are doing;
• Knowing where to go;
• Perceiving significant challenges;
• Perceiving significant skills;
• Being free from distractions;

Clarity

IMHO, these come naturally when incorporating some preliminary:

• Reverse engineering;
• Defining clear long-term and short-term goals;
• Time priorities and
• Habit tracking;

Decluttering

Decluttering your mind is also crucial. And few ways to do so include:

• Eliminating exposure to useless information, usually on social media.
• Rejecting emerging messages from the unconscious that have no validity.
• And keeping a healthy lifestyle, which is beyond the scope of this video.

A Single Task

Equally crucial, both groups allow you to have the foundation of flow which is focusing on a single task. For this, Csikszentmihalyi recognizes two essentials:

1. A distraction-free environment;
2. Complete control of what we are doing at every moment;

Psychic Energy

Rubin explains that even in our daily lives, we are creators, creating our experiences of reality and perceptions of the world. According to Csikszentmihaliyi:

“Since what we experience is reality, (…) we can transform reality to the extent that we influence what happens in consciousness and thus free ourselves from the threats and the blandishments of the outside world.”

— Mihaly Csikszentmihaliyi. Flow

According to other definitions, the esotericist work is causing changes to occur in consciousness so that proportionate ones can happen in the external world, i.e., one’s life.  

Attention

As mentioned, creativity extends beyond arts and crafts.

Realize you are a creative worker. And gather your attention, which Csikszentmihalyi refers to as ‘psychic energy.’

He also calls letting randomness create internal chaos and a chaotic life ‘psychic entropy.’ So, investing your ‘psychic energy’ includes taking ownership. And as we know from Tony Robbins:

“Energy flows where attention goes…”

Here, esotericists can identify the (situation’s) dominating currents and use or overcome them by bringing characteristics and personality traits aligned with the goal. Said differently to make themselves more ‘naturally inclined’ to be the right kind of person at the right time.

Burning Desire 

Next comes identifying the actual problem to be solved and the desired result. The second must evoke a burning desire fueling your intellect. This can be viewed through Qabalistic psychology and the Tree diagram:

Netzach, associated with passion and desire is emanated by Geburah embodying raw aggression and determination. Conversely, Hod, representing intellect and logic, reflects Chessed ruling, the principles of expansion, development, and creativity.

The critical detail is that for Hod’s intellect to (actually) function effectively, it must be fueled by Netzach’s passion and desire. This is done through the path of Mars, Geburah’s other aspect.

When these forces are balanced, Hod generates blueprints for arranging habits and systems, helping you become the person who can achieve your goals. This includes clarifying the right actions to take in the physical world of action, Assiah.

Breaks

Whether you’ll run things through the Qabalastic prism, taking breaks is mandatory, as they let your creativity run uninterrupted. This can be:

• long walks;
• naps or rest;
• or using ‘microflow.’

Microflow

Csikszentmihalyi explains microflow as a state entered during mundane tasks you (actually) enjoy. Examples include:

• Ordering your home (or workspace);
• Cleaning;
• Cooking;
• or Decorating;  

Bill Gates is known for washing the dishes, following a peculiar routine.

In such calmness and enjoyment, fresh ideas and solutions appear in the mind. Think of it as it accessing realms it previously couldn’t. Or if you are a student of Qabalah, as getting direct downloads from Briah, the Creative world of ideas.

Coding

Having coding as a side hobby, I know this is the case with many developers. After working on a problem for hours, the solution arrives while they actually do something completely different and less challenging.

Bertrand Russell takes a similar approach in his writing, and recognizes its utility for solving life’s challenges.

Disconnect and Detach

There are two ways to stimulate creative problem solving by using disconnect as a tool.

1. Rest: Geniuses like Thomas Edison have utilized long-term rest and power naps. This means ‘sleeping on’ a problem and letting the creative engine do its miracles.
2. Journaling: For some, this comes naturally as they already have a dream journal accessible next to their bed.

You can use that or another journal to jot down ideas that may come in your dreams (or when you wake up). You can also write your intentions right before bed and contemplate them so they sink into your unconscious. This is like planting tiny seeds that will develop into ideas, concepts, and even solutions.

Clean Slate

Speaking of detachment, Rubin explains that working on a piece or a goal for too long can blur your vision of how things should go. While focus is essential, not taking breaks develops some ‘blindness’ and inaccuracy. To prevent that, Rubinsuggests the practice of ‘Clean Slate.’

“A way to practice keeping a clean slate is to avoid looking at the work way too often. If you finish a section or come to a sticking point, consider putting the project away and not engaging with it for a period of time. Let it sit for a minute, a week, or longer…”

— Rick Rubin. The Creative Act.

Although Rubin refers to different pieces of art, the same applies to building a business, a new skill, achieving transformation, etc.

Creativity Not Willpower

“Creative performance is spontaneous and natural as opposed to self-conscious and studied…”

— Maxwell Maltz. Psycho-Cybernetics

As mentioned, conscious thinking and willpower play their initial role. Eventually, they must step back so that the creative imagination can step in. Apparently, you cannot will or force yourself into ‘creativity’ or ‘peak performance.’

The key is to use those to set the direction of your creative engine. Or write the instructions for the code to run. Once it starts running, you no longer negotiate (or rechoose). Not just because that leads to burnout and wasting ‘psychic energy’ but because it creates anxiety, potentially hindering the end result.

Said differently, you are setting things in motion. So, any afterward doubts appear in direct conflict with your intention, which, if you view it as an extension of your Pure Will or IKIGAI, you’re contradicting as well. As they say:

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will…”

Avail of the Now

One of the Stoic virtues is not ruminating over the past or getting anxious about what may go wrong in the future. Instead, Stoics remain grounded in the now, making the most of the present moment. In logotherapy, issues are addressed when and where they happen.

All this implies being spontaneous enough to embrace new concepts when they arrive but (also) not letting randomness ruin your day. Said differently, using spontaneity with moderation, which is another Stoic virtue. Let me know if you agree.

Mindfulness

Such spontaneity is a skill requiring deliberate practice. This is where Mindfulness comes in handy in several ways:

• Become mindful of your environment;
• Make sure you stay present and alert;
• Ask yourself if this is necessary at every moment, as Marcus Aurelius recommends.

Essential for creative spontaneity is (also) making your habits (and routines) so instinctive that you go through them with no conscious effort. You move from one moment to another, alternating between different flow states. Yet, based on my experience, this (also) takes time to develop.

“Attuned choice by attuned choice, your entire life is a form of self-expression. You exist as a creative being in a creative universe. A singular work of art.”

— Rick Rubin. The Creative Act.

Meditate on that and the notion that one’s IKIGAI or life purpose is (really) a sequence of events. And perhaps let me know your conclusions.

One Day at a Time

Flow Psychology recommends focusing on a single task. Similarly, Sir William Osler, author of A Way of Life, suggests focusing on one day at a time. This means that no matter how lofty your goals are, you should look no further than 24 hours, doing your best with your routines while letting spontaneity kick in.

Biohacker and entrepreneur Aubrey Marcus take a similar approach. According to him, you own your life by owning the day.

BUJO

As mentioned in my videos, Gurdjieff told his students to write a goal or goal(s) on a list and live their days with the intention of not deviating from it. In modern times, we have Ryder Carroll‘s Bullet Journal, which helps you identify precisely how and why you’ll spend yours.

Besides being a habit and goal tracker, a bullet journal allows you to organize your day so you have no choice but to stay in different flow states. But that’s just my opinion. Let me know if you agree. Check my digital assets, books, and music. Subscribe to my channels. Thank you for your time.