Creative Aliveness: Turning Life Into a Creative Adventure

flexing our creative muscles fortifies our ability to be more tuned in, observant, and adaptable in all parts of our life.”

“creativity is also viewed as a property that belongs not only to a select few; everybody can exercise it. And its exercise can occur within the mundane experiences of life, not just in the formulation of significant scientific, artistic, or other achievements.”

the concept of “natural creativity” was prevalent for many centuries in the Eastern world. For instance, the Book of Changes states that yin-yang movements — how yin and yang mutually change from one to the other — create everything.

Instead of constraining our creativity to these bounded containers, creative aliveness elevates our day-to-day experiences by considering each moment as an opportunity for curiosity and innovation.

While Western creativity is based on the concept of novelty, Eastern creativity is based on the concept of change.

By injecting creativity into the way we navigate the world, approach our tasks, and nurture our relationships, we can live a more fulfilled, exciting life.

It wasn’t until the Enlightenment that the concept of individual creativity started to emerge. Instead of emanating from divine forces, creativity started to be considered a human ability, which led to many innovations in science and technology.

Make space for unstructured creativity. You don’t need to create something useful or beautiful. You could doodle while watching your favorite TV show or imagine alternative endings to a novel you just read. In fact, you don’t need to produce anything at all.

As Flora Bowley wrote in her book The Art of Aliveness: “Creative adventures can be as messy or involved as you choose, but they don’t need to be fancy, groundbreaking, or even take a lot of time to be valid and effective.

A creative mind is: 1. Connected. Creative aliveness requires inspiration, which can take many forms. A creative mind is connected to people who stimulate their imagination, to networks that foster collaboration, and to sources of content that provide them with interesting information.

2. Curious. Asking questions is one of the best ways to live a c... See more