Here it must be said right away that the favorite excuse of many for their own inaction in the form of waiting for the so-called “Inspiration...” is an absolutely thankless, meaningless and largely infantile task. If it suddenly visited you, you need to rejoice as a sudden gift from heaven, and use it wisely. But you can’t wait for inspiration, you need to create it yourself. Moreover, it will not always work out. And yet, this is not a reason to stop.
In the creative profession, and in simply creating for yourself (if, of course, you want to achieve some result and not use it to “switch”), constant, systematic movement is necessary. And often it happens “in spite of” and not “thanks to” one’s condition. Therefore, one of the first conditions for achieving a state of inspiration is self-discipline, work planning, and regularity. And, of course, it is not a fact that this will always happen “on the fly,” but the regularity of actions will gradually increase the frequency of occurrence of the desired state.
What can you do to be in a state of flow more often?
First, you need to study yourself and record what exactly causes a flow state in you, when it’s easy to create, and there is a feeling of being connected to the universe, since there can be no universal recipes. I will share my experience, as well as the experience of other creative people and several generations of architecture students I have observed.
Time of day
Different times of the day (and events in the day) carry different energy - filling and giving, focused and scattered, tension and relaxation. It is important to feel them and organize your actions in accordance with this rhythm. For me, the desired state often occurs early in the morning, when everyone is sleeping - the space becomes mine, and it’s easy to concentrate in it. This has a rationale - the energy of the early morning (before 6 o'clock) is best suited for this. Therefore, at this time you can plan something important and require full commitment. For some, this happens late at night (this is exactly what happened to me during my studies), but this is fraught with a gradual loss of health and vitality.
Environment around
The space in which the work takes place is important - you need to “customize” it for yourself, as one of the main tools. By definition, a creative person cannot have an “ideal” order, but a cluttered, unstructured environment will not add to the desire to move forward - it usually oppresses with its inarticulateness, lack of understanding of where everything is and the inconvenience of being in it. It's nice to know exactly the locations of everything you might need, all the work archives and storage. There should be ease of orientation and room for maneuver and experimentation. It is convenient for me when it is possible to organize two workstations - for working on a laptop, including planning, reading and writing, and a place for interacting with paints, large formats, possibly models or other materials.
Structuring the space with simple Ikea shelving and containers usually helps organize it quickly and cheaply.
But in addition to structure and organization, inspiring content is also necessary - in the form of those things that awaken the consciousness, eye, hand, and tune in to a different perception of reality. The architect Le Corbusier called such objects “objects of poetic response” - his workshop was filled with shells, stones, driftwood and other found objects.
Graphic capture skill
You need your hands to be comfortable with different materials (pencils, felt-tip pens, pens, pastels, watercolors, charcoal..) and be able to easily sketch whatever you want - an interesting fragment of reality, an idea, an image, a picture from a book, an object.. This , on the one hand, gives freedom and confidence, and on the other hand, such bodily interaction when you have no fear, and you are not afraid that something will not work out, but simply take and draw lines, paint, connect - includes special energy a flow in which everything begins to happen according to its own laws, as if “by itself.”
Nutrient solution
One of the most effective means is to immerse yourself in a nutritious “broth” to stir, manifest, create and simmer your own artistic sensation. Such a broth can be created from books, films, impressions and observations of reality, but to a greater extent it is, of course, masters, artists, and other interesting people who provide an inspiring impulse and charge for one’s own actions.
If you not only look at them, but also try to pass them through yourself directly - sketch and write down the important things that caught your attention - it will be deposited inside and become a part of you. You can create entire albums and folders from such self-study, and in the process record conclusions, thoughts and ideas.
Picture of life or concentrate their meanings
I often want to see before my eyes a kind of “creative assembly point”, in which, in addition to rational information such as calendars, lists, plans, there is something that awakens deep meanings, directly affects the organs of perception and excites children’s excitement to move on. This is a collage composition of images, notes, photos, interesting graphic leaflets, your own sketches, goal inscriptions and much more. 
Freewriting or flow writing
One of my latest discoveries. The technique itself is described in many places, including in Julia Cameron’s book “Being an Artist” called “morning pages”. A method of relaxed dialogue with your own unconscious, almost meditation on paper. The idea is that every day (preferably morning) you need to write down a stream of thoughts for about 20 minutes (or 3 pages). This could be simply a reflection of a thought process or a slightly more question-driven reflection. The result is from psychotherapy to insight. But the whole point here is regularity. The most interesting things began to happen for me after 2 weeks of daily writing, and I now use this tool both to change my state, and as coaching for myself, and as an opportunity to expand my vision and deeper understanding.
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Talented people delight others. That is why they and the creative process itself are shrouded in many myths and legends. People who would like to create, but are not confident in their abilities, often think that talent is something innate. And you must first understand whether you have it before creating something. However, Daniel Coyle, in his book “The Talent Code,” cites scientific research proving that talent is the same skill that a person has practiced tens of thousands of times and eventually mastered it masterfully.
We are in website We sorted out the main stereotypes about creative people. Using the example of well-known writers, artists and musicians, we will show how masterpieces are actually created.
We can see what really happens to a man of art in a critical situation in the film “The Pianist.” It shows how Vladislav Szpilman, one of the most talented pianists of the 20th century, survived in Nazi-occupied Poland.
In short: a person lost his entire family, home and even the right to life. And these events did not at all contribute to his creative success.
A group of Austrian scientists conducted research proving that small doses of alcohol make a person more intelligent and original. To do this, you need to drink about 300 ml of beer or 100 ml of wine.
But increasing the dose slows down brain function and impairs mental functions. And with constant use, the effect of 300 ml will disappear. After all, a person will need a larger dose to become intoxicated, and there will be no positive effect on creativity.
What about creative geniuses? Many of them praised drinking in both life and work. However, they preferred to create sober. Stephen King wrote his quota of words during the day and turned to drinking in the evening.
Hemingway, although he loved to give advice in the style of “Write drunk, edit sober,” diligently sat down to write every day before lunch sober. Perhaps they would be happy to work while intoxicated, but the human brain does not allow even great creators to do this.
Famous creative personalities loved drugs no less than alcohol. But, as with drinking, their addiction is shrouded in a halo of romanticization, and the ugly facts are erased.
Creative geniuses were at the same time ordinary addicted people and used illegal substances for the same reason as all drug addicts: to alleviate their condition. Some, like Hunter Thompson, have written artistically about their experiences with drugs. But these were not the author’s fantasies, but real hallucinations that all drug addicts experience, regardless of talent.
Simply put, drugs alone have not made a single person a creative genius. But they killed a lot of talented people.
Most of the people we know became “geniuses” at a fairly mature age. Some were over 30, others over 40 or even older. All these years they (with rare exceptions) worked to support themselves, and were engaged in creativity in their spare time. For many, the work also served as a source of inspiration.
Some people think that a brilliant creator should be like Van Gogh, who lived in poverty and could not sell a single work. However, in the art world there are many more counter-examples that prove that talent can manifest itself in any conditions.
Salvador Dali custom created the Chupa Chups logo, by which this candy is still recognized all over the world. Jack Kerouac, after the success of On the Road, made money as a writer and had orders for books from several publishers. The fees did not stop him from creating several more major works.
The creative profession is in some respects the same as any other: it has its own buyer and the author receives money for it. Unclaimed creativity, appreciated much later, is rather an exception.
For every genius, creativity is constant, systematic work. For example, JK Rowling developed the structure of the Harry Potter books, wrote the characters and actions of the characters for almost 10 years, and knew how it would all end by the time the first book was released.
Why is it difficult to create a masterpiece from inspiration? It's all about biology. When we learn something new, a neural network is created in the brain. If we regularly exercise - write, play the guitar or play football - the neurons become covered with a myelin sheath. And the more myelin around our chain of neurons, the easier and better it is for us to perform new activities.
But the shell thickens only through constant practice. That's why Constant training makes us more creative, free and original- give you the opportunity to create. If the neural network is poorly trained, we do everything slowly and poorly and remain at the level of amateurs and amateurs.
We already wrote above that neural networks are created and strengthened only through constant training. But it's not that simple. A recent study by psychologists from Princeton proves that training alone is not enough for success.
Ultimately, those who change the established approach and traditions become more successful. There are many examples: Salvador Dali, who became a preacher of surrealism, or the Beatles, who blew up the world of rock and roll. All these people were so different from everything that came before them that they instantly went down in history.
But there is a big “but” here: a creative approach requires a base. By the time he created his masterpieces and hits, Dali already knew how to draw, and the Beatles - how to play. None of them came up with anything worthwhile in childhood, although they had creative inclinations. To change traditions, you need to understand them, and this takes time.
Some people feel creative in themselves, but cannot realize them because they work in a “boring” job. But really creativity is available in absolutely any profession. Teachers need to think original to get children interested in their subject. Even proper budget allocation requires some creativity if the budget is limited.
Original thinking is needed not only in art. We use it both in work and in life to find non-obvious solutions to difficult situations or simply to express ourselves.
Some people are not concerned about creativity as such, but about the bonuses that they will receive from it: fame, awards, money. We know a lot of people who really got it all thanks to talent. But what percentage do they make up of all talented and even brilliant people? Very small actually.
When we imagine ourselves in the shoes of those who have already achieved success, we make one of the common errors of systematic selection - the “survivor fallacy”. We pay attention to the winners, but ignore those who lost- remained unknown during his lifetime or was unable to support himself with creativity.
If you want to sober yourself up, read the biography of Kafka: the current literary genius was at one time an ordinary writer, worked as a clerk all his life, lived in one place and died at the age of 40. And he is far from the only genius with a boring biography. Talent is not a guarantee of a bright life; you shouldn’t hope for it.
He burned about 60 paintings.
There are many myths about talented people, but most of them are far from the truth when it comes to facts. The geniuses known to us expressed their abilities in completely different ways, had different inclinations, characters and lifestyles. All they have in common is a real passion for their work. What myths about talent prevent you from being creative?
Neuroscience paints a complex picture of creativity. Scientists now understand that the nature of creativity is much more complex than differences in the right- or left-sided orientation of the brain (left hemisphere = rational and analytical, right = creative and emotional). In fact, creativity is believed to involve a number of cognitive processes, neural impulses, and emotions, and we still don't have a complete understanding of how the creative mind works.
From a psychological point of view, creative personality types are difficult to define. They are complex, paradoxical and tend to avoid routine. And this is not just a “tortured artist” stereotype. Research has shown that creativity involves the interaction of many personality traits, behaviors and social influences in one person.
« In fact, creative people have a harder time recognizing themselves because they are more complex than non-creative people" Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist at New York University who has spent years researching creativity, told the Huffington Post. " What is the most paradoxical thing about a creative person... these people have a more chaotic mind».
There is no “typical” portrait of a creative person, but there are characteristic features in the behavior of creative people. Here are 18 points that are characteristic of them.
Creative people are dreamers, even though their school teachers may have told you that daydreaming is a waste of time.
Kaufman and psychologist Rebecca L. McMillan, who co-authored a paper called “ An Ode to Positive Creative Dreaming", believe that mind wandering can help in the process "creative incubation" And, of course, many know from experience that the best ideas come to us when we are mentally in a completely different place.
Neuroscientists have discovered that imagination involves the same brain processes associated with fantasy and creativity.
A creative person sees opportunities everywhere and constantly absorbs information, which becomes food for creative self-expression. As Henry James is often quoted, a writer is one from whom "nothing escapes".
Joan Didion always carried a notebook with her and said that she wrote down observations about people and events that ultimately helped her better understand the complexities and contradictions of her own mind.
Many great masters admit that they create their best works either very early in the morning or late in the evening. Vladimir Nabokov began writing as soon as he woke up at 6 or 7 am, and Frank Lloyd Wright made it a habit to wake up at 3 or 4 am and work for several hours before going back to bed. People with high creative potential do not adhere to a standard daily routine.
« To be open to creativity, you need to have the ability to use solitude constructively. We must overcome the fear of loneliness.", wrote American existential psychologist Rollo May.
Artists and creatives are often stereotyped as loners, when in fact they may not be. Solitude can be the key to creating your best work. Kaufman links this to imagination - we have to give ourselves time to just dream.
« You need to get in touch with your inner voice to be able to express yourself. It's hard to hear your inner creative voice if you... are not in touch with yourself and don't reflect on yourself.", he says.
Many of the most iconic stories and songs of all time were created out of heartbreaking pain. Problems often became the catalyst for the creation of outstanding works. In psychology, this is called post-traumatic growth, which suggests that people are able to use their hardships and early life traumas for significant creative growth. Researchers have found that trauma can help a person succeed in interpersonal relationships, life satisfaction, increased spirituality, personal strength, and the discovery of new possibilities.
Creative people love to experience new impressions, sensations and states of mind, and this is an important predetermining factor for creative results.
« Openness to new experiences is the strongest predictor of creative achievement" says Kaufman. " There are many different interconnected aspects here: intellectual curiosity, sensation seeking, openness to emotion and imagination. And all together - this is the engine for knowledge and exploration of the world, both internal and external.".
Toughness is almost a necessary quality for creative success, says Kaufman. Failure often awaits a creative person at least several times, but creatives - at least successful ones - learn not to be sad about it.
“Creative people fail, but truly good people fail often.”, Steven Kotler wrote in Forbes in a passage about Einstein's creative genius.
Creative people are insatiably curious. They tend to prefer to explore life and even as they mature, they retain the interest of a discoverer. Whether through active conversations or individual mental reflection, creatives are constantly asking themselves a lot of questions as they look at the world.
Natural observation and interest in other people's lives sometimes helps generate the best ideas.
« Marcel Proust spent almost his entire life observing people, he wrote down his observations, and this found an outlet in his books.", says Kaufman. “For many writers, observing people is very important...”
Part of being creative requires taking risks, and many successful creatives take risks in various aspects of their lives.
« There is a deep and meaningful connection between risk taking and creativity that is often overlooked." writes Steven Kotler in Forbes. " Creativity is the act of creating something out of nothing. It requires the publication of what at first existed only in the imagination. This activity is not for the timid. Wasted time, tarnished reputation, wasted money... These are all side effects when creativity goes awry».
Nietzsche believed that life and the world should be viewed as a work of art. Creative individuals are constantly looking for opportunities to express themselves in everyday life.
« Creative expression is self-expression. Creativity is nothing more than a private expression of your needs, desires and uniqueness.", says Kaufman.
Creative people tend to be intrinsically motivated. This means that they act based on some internal desire, rather than a desire for external reward or recognition.
Psychologists say that creative people are stimulated by exciting activities, which is a sign of intrinsic motivation. Research shows that simply thinking about your own reasons for doing something can be stimulating enough to boost creativity.
Kaufman argues that the ability to dream is still necessary to help us move beyond our usual vision and explore other ways of thinking that can be an important asset for creativity.
« Reverie evolves to allow us to let go of the present." says Kaufman. " The brain network associated with daydreaming is the brain network associated with theory of mind. I like to call it the "imagination network" - it allows you to imagine yourself in the future, as well as imagine other people's thoughts.".
Creative individuals may find that when they write, dance, draw, or otherwise express themselves, they find themselves “ in a state of flow”, which helps them create at the highest level. It is a mental state where a person goes beyond conscious thought to achieve a state of heightened concentration and calm. Then he is practically not exposed to either internal or external stimuli that can interfere with his activities.
You find yourself " in a state of flow“When you do something that you really like and that makes you feel good.
Creators, as a rule, have excellent taste and love to be in beautiful surroundings.
A study recently published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts found that musicians, including music teachers and soloists, demonstrate high sensitivity and receptiveness to artistic beauty.
CREATIVITY IS A STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
Creativity is a very paradoxical state of consciousness and being. This is action through non-action. It means allowing something to happen through you. This is not doing, this is allowing.
A poet is much closer to God than a theologian, a dancer is much closer. The philosopher is the furthest away from everyone, because the more you think, the thicker the wall that separates you from the whole. The more you think, the more you are. This is nothing more than all the thoughts collected from the past. When you are not there, God is there. This is creativity.
Creativity simply means that you are in total relaxation. This does not mean inaction, it means relaxation - because from relaxation great action is born. But this will not be your business, you will just be a guide.
And a person who is not creative only dies, that’s all. There is no depth to his life. His life is not yet a life, but only a preface; the book of his life has not yet begun. He was born, it is true, but he is not yet alive.
You create a child - this is not creativity. You will die, the child will remain, life will continue. But it is not enough to continue if you do not begin to surpass yourself - and transcendence only happens when something from the beyond comes into contact with you.
The quintessence of wisdom is to act in harmony with nature. This is the message of all the great mystics: Lao Tzu, Buddha, Bahauddin, Sosan, Sanai - to act in harmony with nature. Animals act unconsciously in harmony with nature. Man has to act consciously in harmony with nature because man has consciousness. Man can choose not to act in harmony with nature, hence his great responsibility.
A person has responsibility. Only man has responsibility, and that is his glory. No other animal is responsible - it simply acts in harmony, it is impossible to get lost. An animal cannot get lost; it is not yet capable of being mistaken. He doesn't have consciousness yet. It acts as you act in deep sleep.
In deep sleep, you also fall into harmony with nature. This is why deep sleep is so refreshing and relaxing. Just a few minutes of deep sleep, and you are again so fresh and young, and all the dust that has collected on you, all the fatigue and boredom disappear. You have come into contact with the source.
Until a person feels completely free, he will not express his unconscious.
Once you stop feeling responsible, you become natural. And psychiatry is a huge help; she relaxes you. Everything that you have suppressed rises to the surface and evaporates from the surface. After undergoing psychoanalysis, you become less burdened, more natural, more in harmony with nature and with yourself. This is the meaning of being healthy.
But this is a step back, a regression. This is a descent to the basement. There is another way to surpass, and that is going up into the attic. You can transcend yourself by remaining consciously in touch with nature.
And this is the essence of wisdom - to be in harmony with nature, with the natural rhythm of the universe. And when you are in harmony with the natural rhythm of the universe, you are a poet, you are an artist, you are a musician, you are a dancer.
Try this. Choose a time to sit by a tree and consciously tune into it. Become one with nature; let the boundaries dissolve. Become a tree, become grass, become wind - and suddenly you will see something happening that has never happened before. Your eyes become psychedelic: the trees are greener than they've ever been before, the roses are pinker, and everything seems to glow...
This is a state of creativity. This can be called his main quality - to be in harmony with nature, to be in tune with life, with the universe.
You might call it “creative silence,” a process that combines two seemingly opposite things: extreme activity and extreme relaxation.
