Creativity is the Divine Spark Within

Too often we think of creativity as the same thing as genius. Creativity, unlike genius, can be encouraged, and a process can be taught. We are all creative. We are not all geniuses. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention studied over 80 contemporary people in all disciplines from the arts, humanities, sciences, business, politics and inventions. He shows that creativity is not confined to the arts. We are creative even if we can’t draw, act or write a poem. Creativity involves a new way of looking at old information.

Genuine creativity is rarely the result of a sudden insight and usually comes after much hard work. Creativity is not the one sudden thought that changes the world. Inspiration happens after we immerse ourselves in a particular study or problem.

Three elements in the creative process:

1. Immersion
Study everything about the subject and look at the data in as many ways as possible.

2. Incubation
Pull back from the study, work on some other activity and do not consciously think about the problem. This allows the mind to relax and provides a chance for new ideas to germinate.

This is where we open to our spirituality to allow the flow of creativity. Inspiration comes from connecting to something greater than ourselves. That moment of illumination is the divine spark within.

3. Illumination
Wait for that moment of inspiration, clarity, or divine spark. This may not be a sudden “aha,” just a fresh way to view the information after taking a break from it. This step can’t be forced. If the problem is particularly challenging, days may pass before any illumination happens. Being aware of surroundings, dreams, things others say, or some event may provide a clue to the solution. An answer will present itself if given a chance. This may not happen without the two steps of immersion and incubation. Creativity inspired by our spirituality can’t be forced. It just happens.