How to be more creative by thinking less
Many of us grow up with the idea that we can make things happen by thinking and working hard. It’s true up to a point. Most activities require some thought and effort. But sometimes a lot more can be accomplished if we think less or even stop thinking for a while.
This may strike you as impossible at first, particularly if your mind is hyperactive. However, you may recall times when you kept your attention on one thing for a while, and later discovered that the solution to a problem – or an idea for the next step – had arrived out of nowhere. Maybe you were skiing, or swimming, or just watching the sun go down.
Meditation can help to quieten the mind. Solutions, ideas – even brainwaves – are then able to come through. We can’t force them. They just come at the appropriate time. The important thing is to meditate regularly and allow the mind to settle.
If you haven’t meditated before, you can get started using the exercises described in the free download in the top right-hand corner of this blog. You may also wish to explore mantra meditation, of which Transcendental Meditation (TM) is one of the best-known examples.
I’ve been practising TM for nine years. I close my eyes, listen to a mantra and let go. It’s sometimes called going deep. Sometimes ideas come out of nowhere. They may appear during or after meditation. Sometimes it’s just a feeling about what to do next.
If you want to know more about how this works, you may enjoy David Lynch’s book: Catching The Big Fish – Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity. It’s very well written.
What are your thoughts/feelings on this subject? Please write them below or join the discussion in the Paddling Downstream group on Facebook. (See the second box from the top in the right-hand column of this blog.)
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