Embodied Creativity
The idea of creativity doesn’t fit neatly into a universally agreed-upon definition. And maybe rightly so. There’s no objective measure for this invisible force of nature. Each person expresses the archetypal experience of creativity in one-of-a-kind ways.
For me, I can tell when I’m connecting to creative energy when there are sparks of ideas that I feel not only in my idea-producing mind, the things that I visually imagine, but the instant of recognition in my body when an idea hits. And it’s different if there’s a lot of creative energy—it feels like a flow of ideas, or a strong intention felt in the belly about carrying it out. When I feel al lack of creative energy, I can certainly work through ideas that I already had, but it becomes more a focus on tasks and implementing those ideas. I can also generate ideas when not in a flow of creative energy, but it feels more forced. Not like it feels wrong to do but it holds a different tone. It’s more like working material or ideas that already exist somewhere, either in previously envisioned or embodied terms. Or relying on past efforts that are repeated but altered slightly so as to be not quite the same. This feels like a creative pursuit, too, but a creative flow of energy can be like stepping into an invisible stream that carries me along with it.
Pottery is my hobby, but ceramic arts of all kinds have inspired me for years. When I see a piece of pottery that sparks my interest, brings a flash of awe, or causes a sense of frisson—that thrilling-tingling sensation—part of me thinks: “there’s no way I could make that”. But there’s also a part of me that says: “well, let’s try”. Is this creative energy, this optimism of possibility? When I sit down to throw clay on a wheel without an intention of what I’ll create, the cool slip between my hands contains sparks of ideas from the sensation between my fingers and wet clay but also through muscle memory. My hands will move and respond to the material between them. No two pots of mine are exactly the same, and the momentary shifts of making are a kind of micro-creativity. This may not feel the same as a big spark of creative energy or an “ah-ha” moment, but unexpected results come from this continual dialogue of making. It is creating.
If we consider all learning to be embodied, then learning can be thought of as a kind of creativity where we form understanding and meaning where there was none, or we add something to what we already knew. Perhaps different from a generative type of creativity where something new seems to erupt out of the air, it could be thought of as a receptive kind of creativity. Like when I take in ideas from elsewhere and interpret them through my unique subjective experience, this receptive learning creates something new in me. If so, a changed perspective makes use of my creative muscles. Learning is creating.
For me, viewing ideas, expression, learning, and decision-making through the lens of creativity brings out a sense of new possibilities and a refreshing outlook. As Anodea Judith (2004) put it, “we are literally making our world at each and every moment through our actions, expression, and communication . . . [and] engaged in a creative process that is constantly shaping [our] reality” (p. 301). Seeing life through the lens of creativity puts an emphasis on what inspires us and moves us toward more of who we are.
What might you create today?
Judith, A. (2004). Eastern body, western mind: Psychology and the chakra system as a path to the self. Celestial Arts.
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