The Inner Studio - Riverside Architectural Press

PART FIVE | USING THIS LIFE TO BE CREATIVE AND WISE
clearly telling you that movement right now is not wise. This is
usually the moment when we start to feel afraid of failing–“I’m
doomed” “This project is doomed” “I shouldn’t be an architect”....
The despair isn’t helpful because judgment is the opposite of
creation. Everything gets worse because imagination cannot function
when judgment is present and we lose the relaxation that is so
necessary for creative work. If you find yourself caught in a negative
vortex, take a deep breath and go out for a brisk walk.
Creativity is more cyclic than linear. The process may seem to
move along a linear path in later production stages, but the first
wave of creative process is more about wandering, getting lost,
getting found, stumbling through things, trying elusive flavors, and
experimenting with new tastes. Imagination and the unconscious
come with their own ideas about space and time. If you ignore
them, they won’t cooperate and you will cut your work off from
their remarkable creative capacities. They are seeking a space in
which to manifest, and your relaxed awareness and relationship to
the process can create that space. This simply means we need to
remember that special laws of space and time operate in the
creative world and we need to tune into them.
Another reason that aggression or willfulness is not effective
when you are trying to be creative is that energy that is busy pursuing
and pushing hasn’t the sensitivity to receive. Creative impulses
need a chance to make an impression on the conscious mind.
When we feel stuck, we are being asked to wait patiently while the
psyche sorts through impressions or silently wrestles with unseen
dimensions of the problem.
The experience of “letting go” is often the quickest way of learning
from obstacles and difficulties. Letting go is not the same as
giving up. Letting go means not resisting. Not resisting means staying
connected to how you are feeling in the present moment. When
you resist, you are cut off from your creative instincts. Letting go
connects us with the present moment and this kind of attention
always brings creativity and wisdom. Giving up has the feel of
resignation, of being unable to move forward, of being the victim
of circumstance. Letting go is not like this. Letting go is surrendering
consciously.
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