We are infinitely creative …

We humans are busy creating universes every moment … of every day … from the moment we are born until the moment we pass off of this plain.

We start with a perception.

Then comes a thought, maybe an idea, then … action. Even inaction creates by allowing.

Individually, that’s how we create our lives. Collectively, it’s how we create the world. It’s fun. It’s heavy. It’s who we are.

We choose our game, playground, teams, tools and rules. We play even when we think we are not playing, because not playing is playing the game of ‘not playing.’ No one escapes the game of creating.

Most of us aren’t aware of this. We haven’t thought about it. And yet, we are doing it … creating our moments, our lives, our world all day every day. Look around, you’ll see others doing it, too. It’s mind boggling!

Yes, we play even when we think we are not playing because not playing is playing the game of ‘not playing’. No one escapes the game of creating.

Imagine

At least once, if not a few times a year, life asks us to take a break, sit back and reflect, imagine, envision our lives. Whether it’s time to create New Year’s plans and resolutions or to run through end-of-the-week assessments, it can increase the quality of our output, our creations, to ask deeper, more intentional questions about what we are doing. I like checklists, so I’ve included a Creator’s Checklist below to get you started.

The more deeply you dive into these questions, the more deeply effective and impactful you can be. It doesn’t matter what you are working on – a line of code, a new design, a fat portfolio, a sultry romance, a loving family, a vibrant empty nest, a symphony …. your final result has a direct line to your willingness to go adventuring in your own mind, heart and soul.

It doesn’t matter how you think all this through, only that you do. Take a walk, consider while shopping, while enjoying that burger or game of chess. Write, journal, talk to a friend, a coworker or counselor. Do it your way, just do it.

Working with a team? What if each of you consider these questions on your own then come together and discuss. Making exploration the ground rule, no judging, creates an open atmosphere for discovery and collaboration.

We humans are original, inspirational, and imperfect. We make mistakes. But, know this…

A moment is gone in the blink of an eye. Awareness and intention help us to make more of them. It doesn’t hurt to step back periodically and ask … What does the world you are trying to create look like? Maybe check that list twice, because … anything can happen …

… we are that powerful.

Creator’s Checklist

• What are you creating today? Joy? Comfort? Chaos? A solution?
• How are you spending your time? Time is the most precious raw material we have as creators…
• Do you have a clear goal? … Not what you want someone else to do, what you want for yourself…
• Do you trust that it’s the right goal? That you’re the right person for it? That trust powers your efforts.
• Are you solving a problem or a symptom? Acknowledging which you are doing can keep you from being disappointed about the quality of the solution.
• Your attention … it’s generally somewhere. Do you know where yours is? That drives your perceptions so choose wisely.
• Your feelings are the soil of creating. What are you creating from? Are you in fear? Compassion? Awe?
• Are you assuming? Faulty assumptions are like cracked concrete in the foundation of your idea. Sooner or later, that thing is going to fall.
• Do you trust your conclusions? Have you jumped up and down on those boards of evidence to see if they hold? Have you tested the fabric for wear?
• Do you feel good about what you are bringing into the world? Does it make you feel like a hero? That feeling is energy that helps you run faster and jump higher. Not having it means working against your own grain. You know that old phrase, ‘go with the flow’? That includes going with your own flow.