October 28, 2008
Creativity…what does it feel like? And hypnosis…
This discussion about what creativity feels like actually got me quite worried. It was suggested that creativity is intuitive and that you have to be in the mood. Here’s how my thought process went…
I always think of myself as a creative person but somehow for whatever reason, I don’t tend to trust my intuition. Is this some kind of juxtaposition? Can you be creative without being intuitive? Perhaps I’m not as creative as I think I am! I think I can only be creative through some kind of methodology. Also, I seem to have to be in the mood to be creative. I’m not entirely sure if I’m confusing creativity with enthusiasm for things which are considered to be creative. Like, in rehearsals for Grease or whatever, I only seem to be any good if I’m in what I consider to be a ‘weird’ mood. A little bit hyper perhaps. So, if I’m in a weird or abnormal mood when I’m being creative, then perhaps it doesn’t come as naturally to me as I originally thought?!
Then again…I’m in a ‘weird’ mood fairly frequently. So without creativity necessarily being weird, maybe it’s in my personality to be ‘weird’ and creative at some times and not others.
So when I’m not in a creative mood, am I logical? Are creative and logical opposites?!
I don’t suppose they are. Examples: musical theatre…considered to be a very creative activity. However…not necessarily so! The amount of logic and precision that goes into the harmonies and dances is absolutely unreal. The choreographers can spend forever looking at a frozen position and trying to make it ‘make sense’. Similarly, the musical directors make sure the notes we sing are precise. Obviously the right pitch but also length and volume. It’s not as if our instincts can take over. There’s a strict formula to be learned and obeyed!
So yes. I think that’s the logical and precise side of creative activity. I’m still to find the creative side of maths…
Oh yes! And the hypnosis. I found it very hard to let my mind relax and found myself analyzing how hypnosis works. I gave in to it at times and it was really very odd. I think I had a strange experience at the end when I was imagining my relaxing place. Mine was kind of sinister. It was my grandparents’ old garden and I was imagining myself sitting under the willow tree as I used to do. But since then, their house has been sold and I know that the new owners have built a swimming pool just behind the tree. So it was quite weird when it appeared in my mental image, even though I’ve never seen it. I was getting a little weirded out but was very relieved when the counting reached 1 and I was back in the real world. I think I like the ability to censor my thoughts. Although the swimming pool exists, I like having the ability not to think about it!!
Filed by sarahlouise at October 28, 2008 under Uncategorized
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Hi Sarah. Nice photo! Hmmm… I tink you raise a very interesting point about creativity v. logic and whether these are polar opposites or perhaps more of a continuum. You may have more to say about this when we look at Czikszentmihalyi and Gardner this week. I wonder, is there a sense in which your grandparents’ garden – in its previous form – can always be a safe place to you in your imagination? Whatever happens in the external world, we can choose to create images and experiences in our own minds that are helpful to us. So it really doesn’t matter if there is a swimming pool there now. You will always have your version – and the associated memories and feelings – in your imagination!