Like many of you, as the owner of both a smartphone and a laptop computer, so long as my devices are on, I tend to be inundated with information, much of which is totally useless. To have creativity be an integral part of your life, it is essential that you learn to take breaks from […]
Creativity and Forgiveness: How Releasing Past Hurt Improves Creativity
When you feel yourself being creative, there is a sense of flow. Like the tides moving in and out of an estuary, being in the throws of the creativity has a felt sense of gathering and release, an enlivening exchange with the world around you. When you hold onto resentment or withhold trust from a […]
What roles do creativity and innovation play in medicine?
“Risk takers unite!” says the author of this article. But in the field of medicine? According to Geeta Nayyar, creativity and innovation are very much needed in the medical fields. And that was the thrust of a recent TED event entitled “TED MED 2012: Fusing Innovation and Art in Healthcare.” The need to do everything […]
Do You Want To Be More Creative? Learn Another Language, Part I
Today I came across an article entitled, “Would you learn a new language if it helped your health?” In it the authors were referring specifically to the correlation between those who are bilingual and the lower/delayed rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease they seem to have. All of what they had to say intuitively made […]
Austin’s New Book on Creativity, Between the Bridge and the Water: Death, Rebirth, and Creative Awakening, Now Available
I am pleased to announce the release of my new book, Between the Bridge and the Water: Death, Rebirth, and Creative Awakening, available for the Kindle ebook reader. My book explores the compelling parallels between the outpouring of creativity in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Golden Gate Bridge’s infamous reputation as the world’s […]
One Artist Brings Healing Power of Creativity to “Broken Places”
Lily Yeh is an artist who brings the healing power of creativity to places torn by drugs, violence, even genocide. Forced to flee China with her family when she was a child, Yeh has advocated the healing power of creativity throughout the world, including Syria and Rwanda. I love this story both for the diversity […]
You want creativity in your life? You can’t selectively numb emotion
It is my belief that true creativity, creativity that enlivens, inspires, and enriches the lives of everyone around them, most especially the person(s) willing to undertake the creative offering, is based on living from a place of authenticity. In this vein, I love this talk by Dr. Brené Brown as it gets to the core […]
Doctor’s Verdict: Creativity Linked to Health and Well-Being
According to naturopathic doctor, Michael Stancliff, creativity is not some frivolous activity. Creativity and creative activities are linked to both physical and mental health and well being. In the link to his article below, he also addresses various roadblocks that prevent us from leading creative lives. “Our creativity as humans is inspiring. When we creatively […]
Consciousness and Creativity, Part V: The Portals of Body, Senses, Emotions, and Thoughts
The balance between the active and passive aspects of our waking consciousness and its effects on our creativity brings up another important point: consciousness is linked to all aspects of our being—our physical bodies, our five senses, our emotions, and to our thoughts—but cannot be fully reduced to any one of these things. Still, we […]
Consciousness and Creativity, Part III: The Daily Cycle of Consciousness
The challenge of “seeing” consciousness Since consciousness is so all encompassing, it is challenging to see. Like the water surrounding a fish deep in the open ocean, it is hard to gain perspective on its vastness and all pervasive nature. But in order to foster our creative abilities, it is essential that we attempt to […]