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Creativity

Brainstorming won't bring you good ideas (Smith - AFR)

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Another excellent article by Fiona Smith.

Many good ideas, truisms concerning creativity, and the illusions concerning the creative process.

Smith reports:"Many organisations, trying to foster innovation, for example, create complex processes to encourage the generation of ideas, but those processes ignore the way breakthroughs emerge."

Smith quotes Johnnie Moore:

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Britain has more self-made rich than US

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Art WealthAn interesting, and arguably, a surprising article that cites research showing Britain has a higher level of self-made billionaires than America.

Also of note is that both France and Germany have one of the lowest, with a greater percentage of billionaires having inherited their wealth.

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Solitude fuels creativity

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Froma NYTImes article

"The Rise of the New Groupthink"

Research strongly suggests that people are more creative when they enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption. And the most spectacularly creative people in many fields are often introverted, according to studies by the psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Gregory Feist. They’re extroverted enough to exchange and advance ideas, but see themselves as independent and individualistic. They’re not joiners by nature.

and

Solitude has long been associated with creativity and transcendence. “Without great solitude, no serious work is possible,” Picasso said. A central narrative of many religions is the seeker — Moses, Jesus, Buddha — who goes off by himself and brings profound insights back to the community.

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Play. Adapt. Create. (Inventive Links)

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Maya Mathias's experience and insights revealing the fluid-artistic nature of the creative process,

"Months into my improv studies, it struck me that this mimicked much of my career in the marketing and communications industry....

Real life in advertising/branding/marketing is anything but predictable...

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Giving God some giddy-up

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

I was communicating (emailing) back and forth with someone who I suspect is a fundamentalist Christian.

So I thought to use the Reciprocal Test, as previously explained in "The power of the Reciprocal Test", which basically turns belief-systems upside down to show their 'naughty bits' -- the bits that have hairs on them, and/or have holes in them :)

By doing so, the Reciprocal Test (aka The Paradox Rule) shows just how much we, as a childish culture, are subservient to, and frightened of perceived "higher authorities", which as explained in "Consider some stuff", are only there by dint of our cooperation and blessing.

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Consider some stuff

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

I often hear of, or run across people who espouse all sorts of ... well, quite frankly, incoherent, silly ideas and beliefs.

For example, in response to one forum, I received the comment that "there is no right answer or absolute."

Well, let's consider that ... no absolute? Absolutely no commonality, at all?

That begs the question .. if there's no underlying commonality, no absolute common ground to existence, what then enables it and us to all interact? What's the 'connective tissue' that enables that interactivity? What's the ground upon which, and by which, separate things move and connect?

So, here's a response I crafted that kiboshes a few misunderstandings.

Enjoy.

----------------------------

Consider some "stuff" of which the entirety of existence is composed. Not physical, not even necessarily spiritual. Let's just call it "stuff".

Now, this 'stuff' is, by definition, literally everywhere, in everything, everyone one, every thought, God, Evil ... it's literally everywhere. In fact there is no place it is not. Given its ubiquity, we can say it is 'one-stuff'.

If we want to believe that some spiritual beings or others are not composed of this one-stuff, we need ask of what they are made. Whatever that is, it will ultimately need to be made of said 'one-stuff' in that said one-stuff is the ground stuff of all existence. no exceptions.

Now it gets interesting.

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Looking backwards, for control

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Just ran across a wonderful quote by Harriet Rubin, which I expect will be lost on many:

"Freedom is actually a bigger game than power. Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash."

I found that quote while researching one by Einstein that I consider an important one, as did Einstein himself:

The most important question a person can ask is, 'Is the Universe a friendly place?"

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Are you a REAL doctor?

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

To be a superlative Belief Doctor one must remain 'outside' and independent of the belief-systems being analysed, in order to be unhindered and free to look with fresh eyes at the assumptions and beliefs that are routinely accepted as 'fact'.

As a result when I'm asked if I'm actually a doctor (presumably most ask in terms of my being a medical doctor) I answer a resounding NO, definitely not!

Moreover to have a doctorate (or indeed any qualification) would send the wrong message to those who need a new, empowering world-view. And that message is:

'You don't need anyone's permission, certificate or grade-mark to enjoy health, wellbeing and fulfillment. Your 'internal guidance system' - your inner knowing - is your highest authority. By all means get advice from others, and gain whatever qualifications are needed to operate the machinery of life (be it scalpel, jumbo jet or whatever) but for the important stuff, learn to trust yourself and go your own way. Forge your own path, be intuitive, perceptive and creative. We are each our own authority.'

If I deserve any authority it is because of the power and congruency of my ideas, and their efficacy, not on some external credential. But even then I'd be cautious and reserved about accepting any such authority, even for the 'right' reasons.

Historically we've been in a child-like state, culturally speaking - looking up to "higher" authority. We're not grown-ups, spiritually speaking, at least not yet.  We're culturally habituated to follow, and to not creatively and powerfully lead our own lives, without much care for what the neighbours might think.

When I suggest to people to "lead God" many are shocked by the sheer audacity of such an idea. They're deeply shocked by the sacrilege. But the idea of "leading God" is simple common sense ... in that God must be the All of all of us,1 and cannot be anything less, so when like children we are genuinely, spontaneously creative we lead our parents, our friends, family, and the community ... and God. That's what we call genuine creativity, when the whole of creation in effect looks on in wonderment (for where else is such wonderment to be sourced, if not within each of us).

The ultimate authority, one that could be described as a meta-authority is the creativity to forge new paths, to break new ground, to illuminate the way with our light, and to add to creation, not merely be passive, lame, "God fearing" recipients of it.

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Creativity, Competition and Depression

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

I recently found that someone has been attempting to infringe (use) one of my trademarks.

I was amazed at how deeply I'd felt about it ... it was like I had been violated in some way. As if someone had attempted to take a child of mine. Didn't they understand? That was MY creativity; it was MY digging deep to find a new, creative and original expression of my energy, intuition and creative-leadership. That trademark expressed ME in a unique and very personal way. As I'd often said to friends and business colleagues ..."that is SO ME!' (and I meant it).

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The Adult Faith of Letting go

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Adult Faith

Picked up an interesting book at a friend's place -- Diarmuid O'Murchu's "Adult Faith: Growing in Wisdom and Understanding"1

Diarmuid speaks of needing to engage paradox and the many related implications:

First comes paradox! ... A paradox does not make sense to our rational minds. A paradox captivates a surplus of meaning that cannot be contained with the structure of rational discourse. For an adult spirituality of our time this is a crucial issue. Adults today are rarely satisfied with compelling rational explanations; there is a "surplus of meaning" that transcends rationality, yet to mature adults it feels essential in our search for deeper meaning. The ability to embrace paradox is central to this sense of maturity.

But what most impressed me2 was his explanation of the art of 'letting go' -- as covered in a previous post I've found greater peace of mind by doing so in more substantial ways:

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Entrepreneurs: spiritual people

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Nic Frances' End of CharityDriving along with a friend recently I remarked I'm beginning to realise that genuinely spiritual people are those who use their intuitive abilities for the good of society: "social entrepreneurs" -- those who actually build or create something new and of value to all.

The rest can meditate and talk and 'bliss out' until the cows come home, but for me, those who actually do things, invent things or invent new ways of doing things, or who bring new awareness, ideas and insights to society are authentically spiritual.

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Leading God: The wonderfully new!

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

In chatting with various people in recent times about matters philosophical, I've heard it said on a few occasions, "well you know, there's nothing new under the Sun".

That 'throw away line' telegraphs a deep misunderstanding about life, and about the immensely creative and regenerating nature of it.

Not only, I say in response to such comments, are there things that are entirely new, but when we create something genuinely new, the whole of creation in effect is looking on and amazed in wonderment: "wow, look at that, that's entirely, completely and uniquely NEW!"

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The Belief Doctor’s approach

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

As explained on the About page, my focus as The Belief Doctor®1 is to work with people and provide examples and information that reveals the power and productive benefits gained from combining "masculine" and "feminine" energies in one coherent approach to life, in all areas of life. This combination – of effectively combining both 'head' with 'heart' to enable intimate, powerful and rewarding personal, business and social relationships – is recognised by leading thinkers as being crucial to ease, wellbeing, intimacy, creativity, productivity, innovation, health, wealth, fulfillment and happiness.

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Want different answers?

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

Do you genuinely seek answers to the deeper questions and problems of life?

The Belief Doctor Then you'll find some different and arguably deeper, and more congruent perspectives at this site. Hopefully they'll be of value to you. The ideas provided are based on timeless truths, and are (at least in my experience) able to be applied in all areas of life. Enjoy. Steaphen Pirie The Belief Doctor

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Letting go

Submitted by The Belief Doctor on

I have a confession to make. I've been unsettled ever since writing my book Be and Become ... as I've explained to close friends, when I finished Be and Become I felt that I had done what I came (into this life) to do. Such was the depth of that feeling that I've since largely drifted. Despite the courses, the presentations, seminars ... and subsequent books, largely I've lacked a sense of deep purpose. However, what has unsettled me most are the expectations that I've burdened myself with -- that the author of such profound, timeless material (The Theory of One and All) should be living some sort of expansive, amazing life. Those expectations have delivered quite the opposite ... struggle, and a perpetual anxiety to live up to those expectations.

So, analysing my situation I've come to realise that for the last few years I've been tentatively playing with the idea that there is a fuller dimension to my life. That, in having written the book, now it is time that I live more deeply, more fully than simply giving seminars, or writing more books, or achieving 'success', or acquiring wealth and so on. I've come to sense, rightly or wrongly that I am in the process of letting go, and learning, really learning that living is inherently supportive, and that I don't need to struggle, or that I need to live up to anyone's expectations.

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