Deep silence is the mother of creativity. No creativity can come out of one who is too busy, worried, overambitious, or lethargic. A restless person can’t be an inventor. You may say that this is contrary, since some scientists who made great discoveries were impatient to unravel the mysteries of the universe. For example, Archimedes was very restless, but when did he discover the principle of buoyancy? He found it when he was relaxing in a bathtub.
The mind and body function on opposite laws. On the physical level, the more effort, the better the result. Whereas on the mental level or the level of creativity, the lesser the effort, the greater the result. When the mind learns to let go and relax, then the ideas spring out.
Have you seen, if you have forgotten something, the more effort you put into remembering that, the longer it takes for you to remember? The sooner you let go, the faster the ideas come.
If you closely observe every invention on this planet, you will find that it has come when people have gotten over restlessness, desperation, and dejection. It happened when they arrived at a point of breakdown, and relaxed. In that moment of total relaxation, their creative side blossomed. But we understand it the other way around. We think that a relaxed mind is in opposition to creativity.
We think that we can be creative only when we are restless and agitated. This question often crosses our mind: ‘Oh, how can you be creative when you are relaxed?’
Know that a relaxed mind isn’t lethargic. Restlessness is an outcome of stress. Stress appears when there is too much to do in a little time and one has no energy to do it. A little bit of stress occasionally can push you to do more. But I don’t see tension or stress as a main motivating factor for people to do more or to do anything creative.
Usually, people say necessity is the mother of invention. I think that is sort of outdated. A few minutes of meditation, going inward, can make a tremendous difference. Balanced activity, rest, and yoga can kindle skills and creativity in you. If you know the art of meditation, you can tap the source of creativity, not only the source of creativity, but also the source of joy, the source of all energy.
When you are confused, just relax. Intuition works only when your mind is totally relaxed. Innovation and creativity spring from within us, and spirituality, the study of our Self, is the technology to tap that source. The more we relax into ourselves, the more we bring out our creativity and happiness. Creativity is already present in every point in consciousness, and it can be invoked.
It is like applying heat to pop the corn kernels. There is inherent creativity in consciousness. Anyone who has discovered anything or any creativity that has sprung up in any mind, it is because it was already present in the creation. We are tapping into what is already there and taking the credit.
Sometimes we are able to do this without any effort. Before we know, it has already come up in us. Whether it is a scientific discovery or an inspiration for great art, the source is unknown. Tapping this field within us, being with this unknown field is meditation.
If the mind vacillates between the past and the future, then it’s not sharp enough in the present. For creativity, all that is required is the sharpness of the mind, the ability to perceive better. Perception, observation, and expression – these three aspects, which are integral to the success of any activity, can blossom when your mind is well-rested.
Authored by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
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