How do I inspire Creativity in myself and others.

By MA ADM Natalie Petraki.

The first ‘key’ according to my experience so far, in order to put myself in a constant mode of ‘creativity’, was to turn my focus to the ‘positive’ and ‘beautiful’ side of Life ONLY. I started practising on that after a long period of research that I did in the area of Psychology, so I have been using the combination of ‘logic’ and ‘beauty’. I also had to stop pondering on the so called ‘problems’ and see them as ‘opportunities’. I realized the mind was a tool that we could decide in what way to use it. Do we allow it to focus on the problem, or do we direct it toward the ‘solution’? When I focused my attention on producing the solution, I found out that I had underestimated myself and my abilities. Ideas kept appearing as I kept creating, in the most surprising ways. That gave a boost to my self-confidence. At the same time, I felt the intense need to stop paying so much attention to ‘theory’, and do my research via the use of ‘images’ that were connected to the subject I was interested in. The image with its colors, activated my ‘emotional brain’, the other side of the brain that lacked in use. I found out that the emotional brain was a lot more powerful, as far as the increase of my ‘enthusiasm’ was concerned. The craving I had to be seeing images from now on, lead me to Museums and other exhibitional spaces. As soon as I entered, my brain started visualizing with great ease, one imaginative scene after the other. (I write stories of children, and illustrate my own work.) These scenes had not caused me any doubts at all. I just KNEW what to create.

I found out also that I had to ‘experience’ life at the same time, to be able to be creative. The mind on its own with its imagination, was NOT enough. I asked myself what things used to cause me great enthusiasm when I was a child. I brought myself back to the past, to discover emotional treasures. I felt the need to become a ‘child’ again, and start living life the way I did when I was little.

HOW? By opening my mind some more, by ‘feeling’ life the way I perceived it as an individual. NOT the way it had been explained to me by others. This way, I started collecting emotional treasures: treasures like beautiful images, wonderful smells, delicious tastes, mesmerizing sounds. They inspired me a lot, and still do. By appreciating certain works of art or products that have been made with care. I feel that we are attracted to the creator’s vibrations of energy, similar to our own vibrations of energy and personality. By also appreciating the natural beauty which is all around us, this is another source of inspiration. The best ‘time’ of inspiration is at early dawn hours, when our emotional brain is a lot more active than the conscious mind. We perceive the World around us in a different way, since our limited brain does not put experience into concepts. This is when I get most of my inspiration, when I look out of the window, and I see the world the way it really IS.

Beauty is everywhere. Sometimes it hides itself, and I make sure to look for it and find it. Once I have found it, I capture it either in the form of photos, or in the form of text, by describing it. I rarely share it with other people, since the energy would be dispersed. (You can see more details as to how the energy is being dispersed, in the book of Wayne Dyer: ‘The power of Intent’.) I keep it, until I have used it to create even more beauty, uninfluenced totally by people’s different opinions. By keeping the energy for myself only, it becomes powerful and therefore inspiring. Once I have combined it with my own energy, it becomes even more effective, to both me and other people.

How I inspire creativity in others:

By presenting the very best of my work first of all. The work itself invokes certain feelings in the Psyche of other people. The key here is to help them ‘feel’ deep in their subconscious mind, rather than make them think so much. To help them feel some unique, positive feelings. To give them ‘hope’ for their future, to offer them the ‘lost’ beauty they longed for so much, but had not been consciously looking for it in their stressful lives.

So what is most important here is to present ‘quality’ in my work. All people have the great need to feel ‘pampered’, ‘well looked after’ by a creator. Once the product ‘talks’ to them and makes them feel instantly they are being ‘respected’ by the creator, at the same time they feel inspired to participate in the process. Every time I create, I genuinely want to offer other people the BEST I would offer to my own self. I want them to hold a treasure, a collection of elements that invoke the best feelings. My creative products are not mere products. They are an ‘experience’.

Another very important element of mine that inspires creativity in other people, is the belief I have both in me, and my work. People do have the need to feel their dreams are worthy to pursue, and that they CAN be materialized. They need a good role model that will show them the way, somebody who will show them that anything is achievable, as long as they take action, and as along as they commit to their own ‘Vision’.

By showing also the ‘process’ of creation, I am showing people this way that even tough looking projects, may in reality be simple to create. Therefore, I offer them the ‘awareness’ that they can do it too.

People also feel inspired by people who have worked on their own weaknesses, prejudice, and Ego. As we work on these characteristics, our energy changes, and they can feel it. Without this as a base, the creation of the product on its own, would not be as effective. Besides, our product is a reflection of our own selves. I can instantly tell whether a product has been created with concern for its consumers, or not. I can also tell what kind of personality they have.

Sometimes I get inspired by humor as well. With the knowledge that people are having fun by good humor, and they forget all about stress and fears, I include humor in my work. This way I give them a sudden boost of energy that helps them feel inspired themselves.

In the end, it is our work that needs to be the Star, not us. It is our product that causes a certain effect inside them. This is where their focus is. Once people start liking my work, they will wish to either have it, or start being creative themselves. We are human beings with amazing capabilities within us. What matters is the power of ‘intention’, and the ‘faith’ we have in our product. Do we take our work seriously and ‘commit’ to it? Then everything else will be attracted in time. Especially when we ‘connect’ to people.