The Creative Paradox
How to inspire fresh ideas when we're stuck
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” - Joseph Campbell
Have you ever noticed how often the best ideas just seem to emerge out of nowhere?
We spend all day (often much longer) trying to solve a problem or come up with an idea, but it’s only when we step away from the problem and stop thinking about it that the answer hits us.
Maybe it comes to you when you’re out on a walk, making a pot of coffee, or while you’re in the shower.
It’s in doing something that doesn’t require a lot of focus that unequivocally gives our mind the space to wander freely. Not to confuse this act with daydreaming—as there is a sense of presence and awareness. (Meditation is a wonderful way to intentionally practice this.)
Whether it's creativity, a gut feeling, a sixth sense, or intuition—it’s all a byproduct of spaciousness. We’re not constricting ourselves by trying to figure out or solve anything.
It’s in the letting go that allows the mind to be off the leash, giving it the space to create.
For me, I get the best ideas when I go for a run. It’s hard to explain, but I can always count on a brilliant idea that comes to mind. That usually sparks a tremendous energy boost overcoming the fatigue and the desire to stop.
Interestingly, most of the time whatever came to mind is forgotten by the time I finish the run. How is that possible? When the thought came to mind, it felt like a eureka moment.
But it’s when I fall into the trap of trying to dissect and remember the great idea, that I remind myself that the feeling came from giving myself the space from trying to have the answers. Trying to uncork and tap into it again is contradictory to what I’m seeking.
So then I move on...
Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes.
I can imagine that writers, musicians, and all types of artists deal with this all the time. We see it in the form of procrastination, perfectionism, writer’s block, etc. We can brainstorm and do all we can, but the real work and pureness come from letting go and allowing the art to naturally unfold.
This isn’t to say that we should move away from whatever the issue is. Removing oneself from a problem to do something else, more often than not, is avoidance.
And we’re not going on a walk, exercising, or taking a warm bath as a strategy to solve something. That defeats the purpose of providing the mind space.
We’re too often caught up in trying to think our way to a solution and wanting to have all the answers, that we’re not giving the very tool we’re smothering [the mind] room to breathe.
We don’t need an exact blueprint of how it all shapes out, and that’s okay. We just need to know the importance of taking the next step and adjusting accordingly.