Stillnes: Key to Creativity

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone” ~Blaise Pascal

Do you ever get a random boost of inspiration in the middle of the night? Have you ever found a really creative solution to any problem during a shower? Or do you find it easy to work during the apparently “ungodly” hours of the night? If you answered yes to any of these then this is for you. Even if you said no, you should still read it cause some creativity is better than none right?

I know you are probably wondering about what is the common thread between these questions. Well it’s mostly creativity, stillness and problem solving. Now you’re probably wondering what is the point here? Geez, I have done just that. Read on 🙂

When you hear the word creativity, what comes to your mind? Maybe a huge mural, an easel or some colorful paints? You’re not entirely wrong but there is so much more to creativity than simply creating art per say. In his book Human Motivation, Professor Robert E Franken defines creativity as “the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others”.

Here is a small activity you can try to help you understand this idea better. Take a piece of paper or open the notes app on your phone or wherever you note things down and write down different ways in which you can use a book other than its conventional use that is reading. This is my list: to build a fort, as a pillow, a side table, an item of decor, as a makeshift desk.. Go ahead and try it out with other things like tables, windows, etc. This is the easiest way to demonstrate an individual’s innate creativity.

As a matter of fact we are all subconsciously creative in our day to day lives. Clever excuses to get out of a meeting, ways to fix the wifi, improvising your recipes, etc are all examples of daily creativity. You’re probably wondering why I mention stillness, when I have only been speaking about creativity. Good thing you brought that up.

Well, stillness in English refers to “being steady while the world spins around you or to possess quietude on command”; it’s the state of being at ease with our internal and external world at any given moment. Hindus refer to it as samatvam or ekam, Buddhists call it upekkha, Christians call it aequanimitas, whereas Muslims call it aslama. Although this may seem like an alien thing to talk about outside of the spirituality context, spirituality is only one way of reaching this state of stillness.

We all have that quiet place within us. It is in these moments of stillness when you get the best ideas, the best solutions to all life’s problems. But most importantly it’s a haven that exists inside each one of us. It’s that space we can access at times of uncertainty, distress or even happiness. It’s that space that stills us, that calms us when we need it. It’s that space that creates opportunities for self reflection and introspection. That quiet solitude that we all crave. So how do we reach this state of stillness and how do we use it to boost our creativity and problem solving?

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