Effortless Passionate Creativity
by John Wolfe
I’ve been referencing the importance of following our passion a lot recently. It intrigues me to ponder and explore the underlying spiritual ingredients, which make up fruitful, passionate, creative experiences. Once we can identify them more clearly and how they’re evoked, we can intentionally bring these same ingredients into our lives.
I’ve often read if we want to make specific changes in our life experience or accomplish something, we should look to others who have achieved the same thing. By emulating their methods for acquiring success, and applying them to our own unique experiences we too can accomplish our desires.
If this emulation theory works for action based activities, why can’t we apply the same principles for studying and implementing the energetic inspiration behind successful transformations and creations (no matter what they entail)? It’s this energy that gets the ball rolling in the first place. If we are going to start anywhere, it should be at the source of the inspiration- with the type of energy that propelled the eager action.
By far and away, the people that have made major life changes (which actually stick) and are experiencing consistent joy in their lives, are the ones who have found ways to follow their bliss. But what is it about following such pursuits that seems to tap us into an expanded state of awareness?
Why, when we are enthusiastic and raring to go, are we more expansive and full of a zest for life? Why do we feel unstoppable and on fire during such endeavors and why do the results make all other attempts pale in comparison? Of course these activities fuel our juices, but there’s something else responsible for the amazing outcomes produced from residing in these states of being.
I believe it’s the sheer act of creating from a place of effortlessness that brings us into the close proximity of our full power. When we passionately create, without over thinking and managing, we become a conduit for the most positive aspects of Universal energy. To be completely submersed in the moment of creation is to be the full embodied essence of who we are.
To be consciously, enthusiastically aware of what we are sculpting or molding, while simultaneously allowing it to naturally flow forth is such an ideal state of being. I would wager that most of the world’s greatest ideas and creations have sprung forth from this exact place within the minds that formulated them. Experiences like these are the true meaning of passion. In fact, this is the place where the brilliance within each of us emerges from. We’re all capable of it.
However, the manner I’m describing is actually far less common than the traditional way of creating. Most create while simultaneously being in a place of critique and judgment. They are usually doing it during the entire experience or are concerned about others doing it for them after they present their creation.
It’s a process of letting go and unlearning our old ideas of attaching our self worth and value to what we build. This doesn’t mean we don’t allow ourselves to feel while we create. It means we don’t over think the process. If we are constantly in our heads, our creative passion along with the end product suffers.
I believe the main ingredient (when combined with balance between thought and action) resides in the passionate emotions of the free flowing creative process. This isn’t about forcing ourselves to make something happen. And it’s definitely not about forcing ourselves to do something we aren’t fired up about. It’s about feeling for it. If we can’t feel it, it won’t seem effortless and free flowing. If it’s not effortless, then it’s not evoking our passion and we won’t make a change.
“Effort less” doesn’t mean zero effort; it only means less of it. It means dropping the attitude of trying and adopting the attitude of doing, but doing only because not doing seems like missing such an amazing opportunity and experience of creating. In other words, it will take effort, but if you’re following something you love, the effort will seem like so much less. It’s from this state that your hands appear to be guided by an automatic power.
Passion and creativity are not about tricking ourselves into pursuing something for the sake of doing it and assuming the results will show. In fact, that’s the opposite of passion. It’s about feeling so in tune with what we are doing and the path we are pursuing, everything becomes automatic. Automatic is a lot like “effort less.” It too means action may be required, but we won’t moan or groan when it comes time to take that action. We just automatically do it and thrive on continuing to do it.
This illustrates why many people are receiving mediocre results in life even though they are taking tons of action. It’s because they’re taking passionless “effort full” action, which has no meaning or value to them. It’s because their action is out of tune with what they care about. It bares no semblance to the free flowing movements and motions of someone that’s creating in tune with their desires. The Universal energy is still there, but it’s extremely stifled in an individual that’s operating at a no passion, “effort full” level of existence.
While I fully believe we come forth to experience life in whatever way we each see fit to create it- we can only see fit as far as our beliefs allow us to see. We can only allow into our life experience that which reaches as far as our most limiting belief in ourselves. If we believe life is about struggle and doing something we hate, simply because “that’s just how things are”, the “effort full” experience will persist for us.
If we begin to remodel our view on life, reality, and how we interact with it, then it becomes easier to understand the importance of following our bliss and what we personally value. And not only the importance, but the knowledge that this is the route to all the things we find more desirable.
George Burns once said, “I’d rather be a failure at something I love, than a success at something I hate.” While I agree with the sentiment in his statement, I have to say I don’t agree with his measure of success.
Once we’ve found a way to consistently pursue something we are in love with, we are already a phenomenal success. All of the material things our society associates with success can only come, in a meaningful manner, once we are pursuing our bliss. While others may achieve material success doing something they hate, it won’t be the type of creation (I spoke of earlier) that sticks. It’s a fleeting, hollow form of success. And hollow forms soon collapse because they lack the feeling of effortless, passionate creativity.
John Wolfe blogs Winds of the Soul. He believes in helping others get in tune with their own personal wisdom; allowing them to find peace and discover their natural abilities for living the way they've always wanted to live.
Visit Winds of the Soul for more of his inspiring blogs a podcasts.
Thank you, John!
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