This article was originally published on September 20, 2013. It has been revamped today because the core idea's still apply.
Creativity is the Space Between the Notes
When I was younger and studying music theory, someone pointed out that what actually makes music distinguishable from incoherent noise is the space between the notes. Without pause, the notes would be smashed together. Without space, the listener would have no time to take in and process what they are hearing.
A moving musical performance has just as much to do with the space between the notes as the notes themselves. Listening to the same piece of music played by a good musical technician who hits the correct keys is worlds apart from listening to music played by a true artist. A talented artist not only plays the notes, but is an expert at working the spaces. Knowing where and how to take space is just as much a part of the creative process as the creation itself.
As I prepare to launch my second book and lead both a Meditation Teacher Training and Elemental Yin Yang Yoga School all within the next few months, I am bursting with creative energy. In your life perhaps you have been trying to practice different forms of creativity. This could be taking a new course just for fun or it could be something practical like experimenting with a new dish for dinner. At work you might be trying a new organizational system or taking on a fresh perspective to solve a problem or meet a looming deadline.
But did you know that in order to optimize your creativity you need to also find the space between your creative bursts?
Just like music, healthy creativity requires appropriate pause. Meditation is a wonderful assistant to make space and pop out of the creative stream for a little while. In fact, I would argue that without this regular period of simply "letting go" the creative drive can consume you.
The Two Natures of Creativity
The way I explain this to my Yoga students is by looking at yin yang theory. Yang is the creative drive. If healthy yang were a person, it would be the most vivacious, charismatic individual you know. Yang would care only for growth, connection, and be so driven and inspired that you would literally feel the heat of their passion for life just standing next to them.
But like a pot of boiling water on the stove, if yang is left alone for too long without adding nourishment, it becomes nothing more than an empty, scalding shell.
Yang needs it's partner yin to nourish it so it literally doesn't burn out!
Healthy Yin would be the most well-grounded, receptive, and majestic person you have ever met. You would feel a calm reverence in their presence as their depth and sway pulled you in.
Creativity has a yang nature, but when steeped in the yin of simply being, the result of your hard work is less likely to sap your energy or leave you burnt out. Creativity birthed in both yin and yang has the power to fuel and nourish the artist further.
It can be so hard to remember sometimes especially when the creative juices are flowing, but making space between your creative notes will bring you more awareness, persepctive and leave you with enough energy to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
What are you creating right now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
