Month: January 2026

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY WITH THINKING

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY WITH THINKING

The problem with creativity is that it requires effort. You must wrestle with an idea enough to want to see it “produced”.

I’ve always admired creative individuals and the act of creativity itself. But I know it requires that the mind burn and churn out ideas.  And many of these ideas won’t work. Many are impractical.

This process is expensive from a mental perspective. One must go down the creative path and to think those first thoughts…. to ask those first questions…. and then bump their brains against many ideas that are ALREADY OUT THERE, that already exist. Now you must find a unique path in this swirl of chaos.

I think the problem with creativity is that we think this is a state where only the most gifted or innately talented or privileged can enter. The truth is that the act of creativity requires a long, almost exhausting trail of trials and efforts before any product is invented, masterpiece is painted, or exotic piece of furniture is crafted…before any Olympian wins a gold medal.

Remember these are efforts of the mind that one is literally bringing out into tangible reality. It is a mistake of our push-button “everything this instant” culture to think that the artifacts of creativity are also push-of-the -button.

A quilt, a symphony or a successful home goods operation like Anthropolpogie were made by individuals who were and are truly moved and inspired by the act of creating…THE PROCESS of making.

 It’s the hundreds upon hundreds of incremental steps that are neglected by ALL outside spectators. All The risks and the monotonous efforts, all the trials and embarrassments, all the “looking foolish” or “looking like a show off” or the mind-numbingly boring experiences are felt in FULL FORCE by the individual who tries to make the creative effort.

The 2026 Olympics are almost here and I’m reminded of the 1990’s and early 2000’s.To become one of the world’s top Figure skaters and Olympians, Michelle Kwan began skating at age 5. At age 8, she started waking up at 4:00 AM and heading to the rink at 5:00 to skate for 2 hours before heading to a full day of elementary school. After school she was back at the rink for two more hours of practice. The amount of effort was insane, yet most of us just think of her as immensely talented.

One of the biggest thoughts that I find sabotaging my own efforts is the idea that “Hey, all of this creative effort may go in vain”. The consideration that all these efforts might not be the result of anything majestic or lasting or even anything briefly captivating.

 As Quest Protein Bar billionaire Tom Bilyeu (who grew up in a lower middle-class home) says “The struggle is guaranteed but the success is not”. And that’s the nature of the game.

By putting out efforts you’re investing not so much in the lottery but in the stock market. The stock market is a more reliable means to wealth acquisition, yet still risky. You can wait to be lucky and “in shape” or you can start making incremental moves now. And, when I say incremental, I mean small moves in your thinking. Just your thoughts will do for now. Training your thoughts to keep going towards your goals is often the first best form of training.

Say to yourself something like this, “I know I’m imperfect, but I have achieved X goal in the past”. Reflect on the little accomplishments you have completed by yourself through your own efforts.

The next thing you must do is try to notice any slightly negative thoughts you have about yourself. You will notice how constantly an effortlessly it is to think badly about yourself. The steady drip, drip, drip of negativity about yourself OR YOUR PAST or your current lack of success isn’t helpful towards what you want to achieve.

If you can effortlessly think negatively about yourself, think about changing that mindset to think effortlessly positively about yourself. True, both scenarios may be slightly delusional…but I think you can guess which thought is more helpful than the other. 

Training your continual act of thinking and imagination will be the most important step you can take at the beginning of this creative process.


 

Thinking About The FLOW STATE

Thinking About The FLOW STATE

I want to crack the code on flow. I want the sense of feeling phenomenally enraptured and overtaken by the experience at hand and the simultaneous useful connections that I am generating.

I desire the feeling that I am being productive but enjoying it thoroughly.

 You can enjoy something to an extent, and it is not useful or productive. You can do something productive and it not be rapturous, enjoyable or even bearable.

 We all desire the collision of both; a delightful, immersive undertaking that is also useful. We want something that can be a stepping- stone to some other potential operation or action. In the end, we don’t want to waste our time in either boredom or mindless indulgence.

 It is important to realize that flow states are free for the taking.

 A mindset of abundance realizes that flow states must be accessible at least several times a day. Consider Buddhist monks. They live in a meditative and contemplative states.  Research suggests that monks can get into a state of absorption—a cousin to flow—several times a day.

One of the well attested ways to get into a flow state is by picking out an object and looking at it closely. Visually inspect the object and look at all its features. You want to pick out several aspects of it that are general themes, like color and shape.

 Next you guide your attention to other aspects of it. You might zoom into tinier details like the intricate pattern impressed upon it. You might consider the overall texture and then gaze deeper into this object and consider how lumpy it is. Perhaps there is a scratch mark or imperfection. You may also look at how this object sits next to other objects. Consider its position in space, does it invoke a sense of beauty? Does it seem oddly placed?

Think about the original creation of this object, was it made in a factory with a machine or was it a human hand that made it? Have you considered the entire process Involved in making this object? How was it formulated and then brought to the market? Think about the entire chain of events.

 The entire point of this exercise is to flagellate your mind with all the details of the object so that you merge into it. You want to push out the part of your mind that thinks of self by fully deleting the self in the process.  Even as I try to formulate these words, I find myself diving deeper into the state of flow. As I do this, I find myself more engaged and more deeply committed to the enterprise of writing.

Flow does require effort and time because you must use time to commit yourself to this effort. You must diligently engage your attention all the way– you don’t want any extra attention left to ruminate on someone’s disparaging remark.

One of the most fascinating things I have learned about this mental state is that there is a definite link between physical pain reduction and entering into flow. Flow is an analgesic.

Recently I broke my left wrist while ice skating. I fractured my wrist in several places.  The bone pain plus the stinging, throbbing pain from the incision (where a metal plate was installed) is so intense I can hardly think, create or engage with life. Two Norco pills are not assuaging the intensity today.

What I am learning is that getting into a flow state is a great way to override or downregulate the thalamus–the relay station for sensory information in your brain. In other words, engaging in a challenging activity that nudges up to one’s learning ability is the perfect place to be for pain management.

 I’m pursuing art and painting today. I’m going back and forth between sitting still resting my throbbing arm and then going back to painting with my dominant, right hand. The pain comes and goes but I do notice that as I come up with new ideas for the placement of color or the abstract arrangement of shapes on my canvas, I am taken away from my pain experience, even if momentarily.