Perception, the Gateway to Creativity

Perception, the Gateway to Creativity

by Karen Saura

copyright 2004

Creative flow is an illusive thing. Almost everyone has experienced the wonderful sense of being in the flow and having new and inspirational ideas flowing through the mind. There is the rush of exhilaration to keep pace with the flow, the wonder of the miraculousness of the process and amazement as the witness within watches what gushes forth from some seemingly unknown source. Conversely, most everyone can remember a moment of utter futility when faced with the need to create, to come up with some novel idea or concept and nothing happens. In these moments it feels as if the flow has withdrawn, dried up and ceases to exist. As the frustration grows, it feels as if the brain is incased in a lead box growing denser and heavier by the moment, effective shutting out any glimmer of a novel thought and the dark web of self-defeating doubts and fears grows, further clouding any hope of salvation.

Does the act of shifting ones perspective offer a way to more consciously access the creative flow? I propose that there exists a relationship between the ability to intentionally shift ones perspective and the experience of intentionally accessing the creative flow. Writers and artists through the ages have explored these shifts in perspective in their work. The surrealists, modern and post modern periods in recent history are full of examples of explorations into intentional shifts of perspective and the resulting creative endeavors. Scientists have often spoken of the Eureka moment when the answer to a pressing question seemingly pops into their head. The common thread which runs through all of these creative individuals - that which gains them access to the creative flow - is the ability to, either consciously or intuitively, shift perspective and access their creative flow.

When I close my eyes and allow for an image to form to represent the creative flow as it comes to me, a cascade appears overhead showering down from above. This is a river filled with light, colors, images, and sounds flowing into the top of my head, through my brain, my body and down into the ground below my feet. It is available to come forth in all aspects of my life. When I write, it flows down my neck and arms into my fingers and emerges as images translated into letters and words. This flow can emerge as sound, movement, feelings, anything which allows for its expression.

Closing my eyes and allowing for an image to form representing the lack of creative flow, I see the same cascade showering upon me, but unable to enter my awareness. My mind is shut down and tight, dark with an armoring of its own creation. This armor is a psychic wall created from images of lack, limitation and fear. This fear projects many strong images of obstacles to overcome or potential failures and these projections shut out the inflow of creative inspiration. Fear manifests either as a dark dense and sluggish area of congestion in my head through which the creative light cannot penetrate or as a frenzied storm of dizzy panic and swirling thoughts which form such a spinning wall of obstruction that it effectively shuts off and deflects all creative flow. Yet, in spite of the psychic wall, creative flow is still present, it is merely blocked from access due to my being locked into a perceptual awareness centered on thoughts of lack, limitation, or fear. Creative flow can be re-established with a simple shift in perspective.

Writers such as Annie Lamott have all experienced periods of writer’s block. In her book Bird by Bird she shares many of her personal techniques for moving through this place of creative obstruction. When the flow seems blocked Lamott advises writers to just sit and write whatever comes to mind. This opens the flow. Allow the writing to be messy and cluttered. Lamott recognizes perfectionism as a fear-based perspective. Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor... it will keep you cramped and insane your whole life (Lamott p. 28). To shift perspectives and move from a fear based perfectionism into the creative flow Lamott suggests a technique of bringing up childhood memories for inspiration (an immediate perspective shift). She looks to school lunches as a good place to writing from. Writing is about hypnotizing yourself into believing in yourself, getting some work done, then unhypnotizing yourself (Lamott, pg.114). This process of self-hypnosis effectively brings about a shift in perspective and with the shift, an opening to the creative flow.

Psychologists have come to rely upon hypnosis as one of many effective methods for helping individuals to overcome blocks to their creativity. Through combining research into perceptual sifts in consciousness with tools such as bio-feedback machines, and brain mapping technology, scientists are now exploring and mapping the brain and its electrical reactions to the many thoughts and emotions which run through the body. Mind/brain maps are being developed which recognize, predict and direct various states of consciousness and awareness.

Tom Kenyon is a psychotherapist who has devoted his career to exploring brain states, mapping them scientifically, and developing methods for his patients to use to stimulate and access unused portions of the brain/mind (inside cover, brain states). In his book Brain States, Kenyon explores perception, creativity, and ways to intentionally shift perception and intentionally access creative ability. He states, “Creativity is one of the most illusive of abilities, yet it is quite simple. Creativity is the ability to sense and imagine things in new ways” (Kenyon, Brain States pg 142). To succeed in modern society, one becomes habituated to a functional mode of perception. This functional mode is, to some extent, responsive to the surrounding environment. We must be organized, on time, balance the checkbook, be quick at the supermarket check-out counter. Beware the wrath of the hurried masses impatiently waiting behind! The demands of a hectic life force us to adopt a mode of thinking which is very much habitual, linear and perceptually aligned with the social systems to which we must adhere to in order to do the things we must do to get through the day.

When I check in with my inner vision as to the energetic nature of this hectic mode of perception, I see many linear lines of flow moving out into these systems, effectively creating a wall blocking access to my ever-present creative flowing. This mode of functioning is a learned perception and useful, unconscious, automatic way of moving through our busy world. If we become identified with this habitual state and forget to shift perspective and re-open to our creative flow, we can begin to feel frustrated, shut-off and out of touch with our intuition.

Kenyon speaks to this tendency of becoming identified with the predictable, unconscious mode of perceiving the world. Doing what is expected is the death knell to creativity creativity requires a plasticity or flexibility of perception. He goes on to say, “The ability to stretch our perception and see more than our learned view of things is not only creative, it is becoming a necessity in our fast-paced world” (Kenyon, Brain states pg. 143-144). Kenyon speaks of the need to make our perception more plastic, more flexible in order to remain creative in our challenging world. He stresses the importance of finding methods which can be used to intentionally bring about perceptual shifts and thereby remaining opening to creative and intuitive flow.

In Brain States, Kenyon details various methods he has developed over the years in research and private practice to help individuals bring about shifts in perception using hypnosis, sound, music, language, body awareness and creative visualization. Many other researchers in the field of consciousness, perception and creativity have also recognized the link between shifting perceptions and accessing creativity.

Susan Blackmore is a scientist who has devoted her entire career to exploring the field of consciousness. In Consciousness, her most recent book, Blackmore describes the creative process as she has come to understand it. Creativity can be partly understood in the way all these explicit and intuitive skills come together in one person. Yet there remains something of a paradox about the source of creativity. She goes on to say, “(Creative individuals) claim their best work just comes to them. They have no idea how they do it… it is as though the (creative expression ) just shaped itself without any conscious effort” (Blackmore, pg. 286). Might I suggest that without realizing it, the creative individual experiences a shift in perception which results in an opening in the mental armor and a sudden accessing of the creative flow resulting in the experience that, as Blackmore puts it, their best work just comes to them? Although Blackmore offers no explanation for the source of creativity, she does suggest meditation as the single most effective technique available for gaining deep relaxation, eliminating stress (and) increasing creativity and offers it as a method for seeking insight and awakening (Blackmore pg.392).

Undoubtedly, mystics throughout the ages would agree with Blackmore’s assessment of meditation at a means for gaining insight and accessing altered states of consciousness. According to Kenyon, “meditation can be though of as focused attention. As you turn attention to a point of focus and keep awareness there, bodily tension de-creases, you feel more and more relaxed” (Kenyon, 101). This shift of focus leads to a shift in perception, and an opportunity to access creative states which had previously been blocked by a mind locked into linear awareness.

The true nature of creativity remains an elusive mystery, yet is accessible through the embracing of perceptual shifts. To embrace these shifts, one must call forth the courage to jump into the unknown and all the changes this brings forth. All absolute understanding is abandoned but for the ultimate truth that to live a creative life, one must embrace change and through embracing change one can express a life creatively lived.

I used to have fiery intensity,
and a flowing sweetness.
The waters were illusion.
The flames, made of snow.
Was I dreaming then?
Am I awake now?

- Rumi

References:

Barks, C. (1993). Rumi: fifty-three short poems translated by Coleman Barks.
Athens, GA: Maypop.
Blackmore, S. (2004). Consciousness: an introduction. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
Kenyon, T. (2001). Brain States. Lithia Springs, GA: New Leaf Distributing Company.
Lamott, A. (1994). Bird by bird: some instructions on writing and life. New
York, NY: Anchor Books.