In the previous blog entry titled, “Spontaneity and the Creative Process- Part I”, I discussed how spontaneity functions only in the present moment, a time period I refer to as the creative moment.

 

    The creative moment is when time intersects with the unknown, vastness of consciousness, and the endless possibilities the creative individual can draw upon.

An image from the Voyager Archetypal card deck, created by Dr. James Wanless, accurately depicts this creative moment. In the image, there is the manifested, physical world symbolized by the abundance of images toward the front of the card. In the center of the card, there is the Buddha standing at a portal to the unmanifested, unseen world. I see this card symbolizing the key to creative abundance, and that key is the stillness of mind, represented by the Buddha.

 Spontaneity is the readiness to act from stillness of mind and creativity is the action itself.  The former occurs before the creative moment and the later occurs after. To explore why creativity becomes thwarted or blocked, an examination of what can occur in the creative moment is warranted.

 

Factors Influencing the Creative Moment

 First, there are the different types of possibilities the person has available to draw upon. For example, if a person wants to run a marathon and has not worked a running program, then the probability of drawing upon a possibility of winning a marathon is slim to none. But, if an athlete trains, focuses and develops his or her body for marathon running, then a possibility of winning or finishing the marathon becomes more probable. The practiced runner is developing mastery.