The Energetics of Creative Flow: Taming the Originality Monster
As an artist, originality or the desire for originality can become an energetic force behind my practice. This desire for uniqueness can be dangerous for the energetics of creative flow, as it robs me of the intuitive play that is inherent for a robust creative process.
With the burden of producing something “good” hovering over me like a cloudy sky on a humid day, I feel my body become heavy and sluggish. My mind blank, I start to feel helpless. To make matters worse, the predator in my psyche pays a visit, telling me that I’m not worthy of originality and that I belong in the dungeon of mediocracy.
The “originality monster” delights in hovering over the creative entrepreneur, whether they are involved in fashion, interior styling, jewellery design, or any other form of product design.
Additionally the monster extends its presence to those working in writing, textiles, visual art, sculpting, ceramics, and more. I know I’m not alone.
Maybe you feel that you are not original enough Elizabeth Gilbert writes in Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. Aspiring writers will often tell her “I have an idea, but I’m afraid it’s already done.” Well yes it probably has already been done. Most things have already been done - but they have not been done by you, she states.
Embracing Your Creative Process: Embodiment Practice and Intuitive Play
Creativity is a powerful force that fuels innovation, problem-solving and self-expression. Yet, I know many creative individuals that struggle to maintain a consistent creative flow of ideas and inspiration. A way that can help to nurture and sustain your spark is through intuitive play.
By embracing this as part of your process and blocking it into the work week, you can unlock new levels of creativity and keep the ideas flowing.
The creative process is often cloaked by the daunting presence of the “originality monster.” Lurking in the shadows, whispering doubts and fueling insecurities. Over the years, I’ve found the pressure to produce authentically unique work can be simultaneously exhilarating and paralysing, often leading me into a spiral of stress filled with creative blocks.
But fear not, there is a gentle yet powerful ally in our quest for creative liberation - the art of embodiment. By embracing practices that connect your mind, body, and spirit, you can pave the way for a harmonious flow of creativity that transcends the limitations of the “originality monster.”
Taming the Originality Monster: Embodiment Practice
Embodiment, rooted in the wisdom of energetics and holistic practices, is the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and experiences are closely connected to our physical bodies.
Basically, it’s the understanding that our minds are not separate from our bodies, but rather influenced by and grounded in them. The way you move, sense things, and interact with the world around you shapes how you think and feel.
Picture yourself entering the studio or sitting at your desk settling into your craft and exploring projects without any feelings of pressure. The sensation of being less tense, more instinctive, and playful may seem foreign.
Yet this is precisely the process of how to bring your own distinctive, authentic creations to life. By infusing intuitive play into your creative process you can conquer the “originality monster,” and fearlessly delve into uncharted territories without being shackled by judgement or the pursuit of perfection.
Trust me, I know!
I’ve been on the journey of overcoming perfectionism for a while. In the past, I’ve sabotaged my creative career by thinking that I needed everything to be just right so that I could move forward. I kept myself stuck in never ending courses as I felt that my abilities and my expertise never seemed to match the lofty standards set by my inner critic, the “originality monster.”
The key to unlocking the freedom to experiment and tapping into your inner wisdom lies in embracing the art of embodiment. Integrating an embodiment practice into my life has been a game changer, as it has positively enhanced physical awareness, mental agility and emotional resilience for me.
I’ve shifted away from the belief that everything must be perfect around me or that my creative flow only occurs sporadically. Now, I embrace an embodied approach that lets me engage with my creativity in a more intuitive and playful manner.
As Rick Rubin says in The Creative Act: A Way of Being, “It’s helpful to see the piece we’re working on as an experiment. One in which we can’t predict the outcome. Whatever the result, we will receive useful information that will benefit the next experiment. If you start from the position that there is no right or wrong, no good or bad, and creativity is just free play with no rules, it’s easier to submerge yourself joyfully in the process of making things. We’re not playing to win, we’re playing to play. And ultimately, playing is fun. Perfectionism gets in the way of fun. A more skillful goal might be to find comfort in the process.”
The Benefits of an Embodied Practice for Consistent Creative Flow
I believe that by engaging in practices such as mindful movement, breathwork, and somatic explorations, you have the opportunity to access the deep wells of inspiration residing within you, waiting to be released.
Embodiment techniques also provide various advantages for managing stress and regulating the nervous system, key to cultivating a greater sense of awareness and presence needed for the consistent creative flow you crave.
The enhanced awareness can result in the following benefits:
Stress reduction: By centering your focus on the present moment through movement and breath, you can diminish the impact of stress on your body and mind.
Regulation of the Nervous System: By effectively balancing the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) branches of the nervous system, you improve your capacity to regulate emotional responses and maintain harmony..
Mind-Body Connection: Strengthening the connection between your mind and body can lead to improved self-regulation and a deeper comprehension of how your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations are intertwined.
Enhanced Resilience: Through refining skills such as mindfulness, breath control, and body awareness, you can navigate challenging circumstances more effectively and recover more swiftly from setbacks.
Overall the benefits of embodiment, which included stress reduction, enhanced resilience, nervous system regulation and mind-body connection, are crucial for accessing the intuitive play needed to overcome the challenges posed by the “originality monster.”
Taming the Originality Monster: Intuitive Play
The creation of something new is accomplished not by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.
Carl Jung, Psychological Types
A 2013 study found that play helped adults use healthier copying styles like acceptance and positive reframing. When engaged with intuitive play, the brain can undergo rapid and automatic processing, allowing you to respond quickly to changing situations without much conscious effort.
Furthermore, a 2021 study found that intelligence arises from the complex interaction of cognitive processes that are modified by different levels of emotional self-awareness and motivation.
Neuroscientific research indicates that intuitive play involves intricate neural networks, encompassing brain regions linked to executive functions like the prefrontal cortex, alongside areas associated with emotional processing such as the limbic system.
These networks collaborate to foster creativity, problem-solving, and exploration during play. Exactly what you need when you're experimenting with new ideas or exploring ways to infuse more inspiration into your projects.
Intuitive play, also known as free play can have several benefits for creative thinking and innovation:
Enhanced Creativity: Intuitive play encourages you to explore without constraints, leading to novel and innovative ideas. By engaging in unstructured activities, you are more likely to experiment and let go of perfectionism and expectations, allowing new inspiring creative ideas to emerge.
Improved Problem-Solving Skills: Through intuitive play, you can develop problem-solving skills by exploring different approaches and learning from their mistakes. This can help foster a mindset of resilience and adaptability when faced with challenges.
Stress Reduction: Engaging in intuitive play encourages you to be in the moment, helping you to focus on the present task and reduce anxiety and worry about the future. Αdditionally, playful activities can boost your mood and energy level, as feel good endorphins are released into your body, reducing cortisol which is associated with stress.
Enhanced Intelligence: Intuitive play encourages you to use your imagination and think creatively. By engaging in imaginative and unstructured activities, you can expand your creative thinking ability and tap into the realm of innovation.
Embracing intuitive play can boost your creative thinking skills by encouraging exploration, nurturing curiosity and spurring innovation in an engaging and immersive manner. It acts as a pathway to taming the “originality monster,” which is the inner predator that complicates life.
Final thoughts
As an embodied being you can readily tap into free play, side-stepping self-doubt and the need to excel and create something exceptional. Instead you can embrace a state of open-ended time where creativity effortlessly flows.
For those seeking a deeper creative flow, embracing an embodiment practice offers the potential for profound transformation. By honouring your body as a sacred vessel of creativity, listening to its whispers and honouring its wisdom, you pave the way for a rebirth of innovation and authenticity in your creative endeavours.
To implement an embodiment practice into your everyday life, you will need to embark on a journey of exploration and embrace the modalities that resonate with you and nurture your creative flow. Whether it’s the grounding ritual of morning yoga, a creativity-boosting dance interlude, a nature walk for rejuvenation, or an evening meditating for introspection and celebration of accomplishments.
Find what speaks to you and weave it consistently into your routine.
Remember, building a belief in the power of embodiment practices as a doorway to consistent creative flow and more success as a creative requires devotion, patience and an open mind. You need to trust in the transformative potential of these practices to guide you on a profound journey of self discovery, creative expression, and entrepreneurial success.
I invite you to embrace the wisdom of your body, honour the voice of your intuition, and allow the energetics of creative flow guide you. With an embodiment practice as your trusted companion, the possibility for innovation, professional growth, and personal fulfilment are endless.
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul is a book that further supports how we need to play more than ever, as it’s the very means by which we prepare for the unexpected, search out new solutions, and remain optimistic. A fascinating blend of cutting-edge neuroscience, biology, psychology, social science, and inspiring human stories of the transformative power of play, this book proves why play just might be the most important work we can ever do.
Imagine a dance of energy coursing through your being, infusing every brushstroke, every word, every note with a sense of fun and vitality. As you embody the essence of your creative vision, you begin to dissolve the barriers of self-doubt and comparison, welcoming a sense of wholeness and authenticity that propels you to new heights.
So, dear reader, embrace the art of embodiment as a balm for your creative soul, a key to taming the originality monster, and a gateway to a realm of limitless creative possibilities. Let your journey be guided by the rhythms of your heartbeat, the whispers of your intuition, and the dance of energy that flows through all things.
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