Creative Path, Part III — The Art of Practice
In the previous posts, I have explored the idea of a compass that guides us on the journey of self-awareness, and the cultivation of a courageous mindset to step into uncertain times. One important step is missing in the pursuit of a creative life: practice. Practice is the labour we put into ourselves continuously in order to prove to the universe that we are in it for real. A sort of devotion to our calling and a non-negotiable when it comes to finding focus on our intentions.
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ORIGINS OF A CREATIVE STATE OF MIND
When I’m in that creative ‘zone’, I tend to lose myself in the experience. There is no awareness of time, thoughts and worries seem to be non-existent. My body transforms itself into a vehicle for a magical process of complete surrender to the act of creation. I find myself in a liminal space, somewhere between dream and reality. It’s a great place to be in but, unfortunately, also a very elusive one. Once you’ve spent some time in that space, all you want is to go back. Life becomes an endless seeking for tricks and methods to re-discover that magic and give in to the experience that leaves you with a sense of aliveness and fulfillment.
Don’t we all want to experience that aliveness? Aren’t we all looking for ways to express ourselves? Creativity and the creative process have fascinated me for years. What I’ve discovered is that the process happens when I’m at peace with myself and my surroundings. When I managed to stop reacting to circumstances and opened up space for things to happen. I needed to get lost in the moment first, in order to find myself.
A relaxed state of mind is so important for creative insights because we’re more likely to direct our attention inward, toward a stream of connections and associations originating in the subconscious. This internally focused state of mind is different than the more outwardly directed focus we need towards the details of an analytical problem we’re trying to solve.
The question is, how do you achieve that relaxed state while living in a world that’s doing its best to keep you distracted during every waking hour? How do you stop wasting energy and time on things that don’t add to your creative process?
The practice revolves around 3 simple categories—TEA framework:
1. Time
2. Energy
3. Attention
Creativity is directly related to our ability to direct (requires energy) our attention in a specific moment (time). Attention management allows us to be more proactive than reactive to circumstances and events. It’s impossible to control life but practice allows you to control the spotlight of your attention. It allows us to live lives of choice rather than reaction and distraction.
MY PRACTICE
A practice for me means a collection of rituals I’ve developed to maintain a sustainable and fulfilling life that suits my personality and lifestyle. The rituals that work for me will not work for everyone. It took me years to find a practice that I can sustain daily and to get here I had to experiment with different practices of other people, learn from them, keep the good stuff and chuck away the rest. Hopefully, this will help you do the same.
I have experimented with the ‘time-blocking’ system where I dedicated 90-minutes blocks to work that required various kinds of attention. But that hasn’t really worked for me. It’s too rigid and stresses me more than anything since every day I feel differently. Different weather, different mood, different challenges. I first look at my energy levels during a normal day and, most importantly, after a good night’s sleep. I usually feel most energized in the mornings, slightly less so in the afternoons and I tend to slowly mellow down in the evenings. My work consists of tasks that are very energy-demanding, such as creative expression, and less demanding, non-cognitive tasks related to logistical or minor duties. Based on that knowledge, I divide my day into 3 parts where each part requires a different kind of attention and a specific kind of environment:
1. deep work:
attention inwards
as little distractions as possible
2. shallow work:
attention outwards
minor distractions allowed
3. social & rest:
attention outwards
a non-cognitive state where distractions are allowed
Rather than centring activities around time blocks, I centre the required type of attention around my circadian rhythms (circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body's internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes. Read more on that subject here https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-ideal-work-schedule-as-determined-by-circadian-rhythms).
CREATIVE EXPRESSION OR DEEP WORK
Creative expression requires me to slow down left-brain activity and allow for the subconscious to reveal its secrets. As mentioned before, this happens in a liminal space between dream and reality. So, logically, this happens right after sleep, when I’m not yet swamped with all the events of the day. I usually start the day around 6 am with stretching exercises, then meditation and transition into writing (journaling and writing practice). Having a solid foundation of self-care in the morning sets me up feeling fit and energized, physically and mentally. This most important part of the day requires minimal distractions in an environment where I can be by myself. All outside communication is turned out.
Rituals:
morning stretching
morning meditation
20+ minutes of meditation
morning journalling
self-therapy to filter out the noise in my head and clear the space for the subconscious to reveal its secrets
writing practice
blog posts, articles, essays
I write or edit until 11 am and start preparing for lunch. Sometimes I’ll go out running or I take a walk. Most importantly, I have already expressed myself creatively, which gives me a sense of accomplishment. If the rest of the day goes sideways I don’t feel like I’ve been lazy.
SHALLOW WORK
Shallow work requires me to focus on more analytical tasks with a concrete plan of action and immediate execution. This type of work is less demanding because it involves more routine and repetition. The environment can be more flexible since distractions are allowed. Coffee shops, the living room or a co-working space are all possible locations to get shallow work done.
After lunch, I get myself back in front of the screen and go through my to-do lists. I give attention to my social channels, do some research or work on my website. This part of the day is less of a priority in the grander scheme of things and, if the mood and weather allow, I change it up by getting outdoors to work on my photography portfolio or take a walk in nature with a friend.
SOCIAL & REST
This is the time of day is dedicated to social connection and entertainment. Trying to wind down from the day, not think about work and maybe just set some intentions for the next day. Gradually I slow down the type of activities to eventually transition into a solid night of sleep. Obviously, the environment for this last part can be very varied.
The evenings are dedicated to spending time with my girlfriend, reading, seeing friends, watching movies or going for ocean walks.
These 3 parts serve as a template for each day. The template is malleable and often influenced by seasons, weather, unexpected events or sometimes even by just a bad-kind-of-day. Between the 3 parts, I do prioritize the mornings which helps to start each day afresh and with a sense of accomplishment. But I recognize that I’m only human and imperfect and often nothing goes as planned. Whenever in doubt of what to do, I try to listen to my body and start working according to its rhythm.
ADVERSITY HACKS
Let me first explain the state of mind I strive to find myself in as much as possible:
The state of being centred:
I’m centred when I feel at my best, composed and relaxed, in harmony with the flow of the day. A balanced state in which I am capable to hold space for any experience manifesting itself. The space I need to be able to become aware of before I react. That space allows me to focus on going inwards. The centred state of mind is a sort of energetically balanced state that allows me to start doing the work by trusting the natural flow of things. Not lingering on negativity or disruptive external circumstances. The state that prepares you to get into the flow. A creative state of mind.
Undoubtedly, life constantly throws things at you that obstruct the state of being centred. Just as anybody else, I too go through life with a bunch of demons by my side. They sabotage and slow me down in any endeavour I embark on. Supplementing a solid practice with a few adversity hacks helps me escape the torments of my fellow companions. Through years of struggling with myself and trying to get out of my own way, I have developed a few techniques to deal with these saboteurs. Think of the hacks as crisis management techniques. If the practice is a template for a good day, then the hacks save me from falling deep into the well of internal darkness.
1. BREATH
I believe that our bodies harbour healing mechanisms that help our minds get out of any difficult situation it might be facing. Everything you will ever need to live a fulfilling and healthy life is always at your disposal, you only need to discover it. You don’t need external material tools to support you on the journey of reaching your full human potential.
When it comes to the saboteurs, I have discovered that they tend to dissipate in thin air, literally. I’m talking here about the simple power of breath. Breath has saved my life when it comes to dealing with demons on a daily basis. Anywhere I am, at any moment in time, in any kind of situation—all I have to do is focus on my breath. I have learned 3 hacks that each serves to relieve any type of crisis situation where I get anxious and stressed:
Box breathing
requires minimum 2 minutes
https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#slowly-inhale
can be done in any kind of environment: sitting in the car, lying down, walking, etc.
Wim Hof breathing meditation
requires minimum 10 minutes
can be performed lying down or sitting upright
Holotropic breath-work
requires minimum 1 hour
Holotropic breathwork requires some deeper insights into the practice and I recommend reading the book https://www.amazon.ca/Holotropic-Breathwork-Approach-Self-Exploration-Therapy/dp/1438433948
can be performed lying down with a partner to accompany the experience
2. WRITING
Writing serves me two-fold: as self-therapy, to get rid of the noise inside my head, and as a tool to express myself creatively. Here I’ll focus on the therapeutic side of it.
Each morning I tend to wake up with an overactive mind. I regard this over-thinking as the noise that has been accumulating from the previous days and night. To get rid of it and start my day with a fresh state of mind I write. I’ve heard others say they pick up an instrument, put on their headphones and escape in music or take a walk in nature. Everyone eventually finds what works best for them. For me, writing has worked for years. I open my computer and simply start typing what I feel at that moment, what worries me. I write down my complaints, struggles and confusions. Whatever really comes—good, bad or ugly. Nobody is supposed to read my revelations. Ever!