Reawaken the Creator Inside (Leap Into the Unknown)

Follow your natural curiosity. It's already right there inside of you. All you have to do is become aware, and leap into the unknown.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” - Pablo Picasso

Recently, I went back and looked at what I was like in my childhood. 

I remember when I was 8 our family got our first computer complete with dial-up internet in the year 2000. The first thing I did was open the computer up because I had to know what kind of sorcery was going on inside. My little mind was blown. From that point on, I spent countless hours on the internet everyday, doing nothing but exploring my curiosity.

Children are so interesting to examine. They ask “why?” at every turn, never satisfied with surface level answers. They want to know what’s beyond the stars. And then they want to know what’s beyond that. No restriction, no restraint, no fear, no expectations. They’re unwaveringly themselves. Boundless and free.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but childlike curiosity is linked to creativity. It powers creativity.

Then, somewhere along the line, we were taught to stop being curious… to stop being us, to ignore the truth and taught to conform.

We’ve Been Fooled

“Children know from the beginning that the world is weird. Everybody knows what it’s all about, only they won’t admit it. Being brought up is being taught not to admit it, but you know very well what’s going on. But in order to find out once more as an Adult, you have to become again as a child.” - Alan Watts

I’ve been meditating on the part of the quote where Alan says “you know very well what’s going on” for a few weeks now.

Well, what is going on?

The truth is, our societal system has had us forget about our natural curiosity and creativity, pushing us into roles that don't always fulfill our deeper desires for meaning and self-expression.

I believe the reason one of the greatest crises of our time is a lack of meaning and fulfilment is because we’ve forgotten who we really are. 

At almost every turn, you’re taught that you’re silly for dreaming. But fair enough, you do need to be “realistic” after all. Then you’re shown that it’s not actually okay to be yourself, even though everyone tells you to “just be you”. But sure, sometimes you have to do things that don’t align because you’ve got mouths to feed and bills to pay.

Modern society feels like one big conveyor belt. 

You’re born, you go to school, you get a degree, you grow up, you get a job, you find a partner and get married, you buy a home, you have children, you diligently go to your job day-in, day-out, you start to get tired and jaded, you start to get stressed and overwhelmed, you find it harder and harder to find time for yourself, heck, you struggle to even remember what it is that you enjoy, and suddenly… life starts feeling like one big endless loop.

Only it’s not. Our time here on planet Earth is so limited. I used to say that I couldn’t wait to be a grown up. Now that I’m here I look around and everyone seems so stressed, overwhelmed, tired and dejected. We all work so hard to afford the things we need to lead a great life, except it’s those same things that perpetually bond us to the never ending hamster wheel, ensuring we don’t actually get to enjoy them in autonomy and presence — the ability to be fully immersed and in awe of the current moment.

There’s honour in working a job because we need to contribute and making a living, but…

Have you ever felt deep down that there has to be more to life than what is right now? The feeling that something is missing, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. I haven’t been able to shake this feeling.

You watch movies, you read books, you listen to music, you go online - to read, to listen and to watch - and you see all these people creating online, looking alive, energised and full of wonder. 

You see the magic, it’s all around you. But you think you could never access it, you think that could never be you.

Well, I’m here to tell you… you can, and accessing it is not as far away as you might think.

Think about what truly captures your curiosity. Have you ever felt called to share your ideas, perspectives and experiences online, but you held back because you thought no one would want to listen to you, or you were scared of what other people might think? 

Ask yourself…

How would you feel if there was absolutely nothing standing in your way?

What would it look like if there were only good reasons to start?

What if by you not doing this, you were actually doing a disservice to both yourself and the universe?

What if the only thing standing between your curiosity, creativity and fulfilment was the leap you’re hesitant to take?

I’m not saying jobs are bad and you should immediately quit now - that’s not what this is about. I’m saying there’s a better balance to be had between work, achievement and fulfilment.

I work full-time and haven’t been writing for very long, but the act of coming online to create and share online as myself has been one of the most rewarding, fulfilling and energising experiences I’ve ever had to date.

It’s not as far away as you might think. All you have to do is…

Leap Into the Unknown

There’s an infinite number of ways you can be creative online. This journey isn't just for writers or artists - it's for anyone with a story to tell, a lesson to share, or a passion to express, no matter the medium.

You’ll need to find whatever method or medium it is that speaks to you the most. For me, that was writing. It’s a place my mind quiets down the most, and a way that I can best express myself.

Getting myself here took some work, but it was these ideas which played a pivotal role in my ability to actually make a start, while having some fun.

With whatever path you take to channel your creative energy, these ideas will reduce the friction and surface the perspective needed for you to get started.

Creativity is Universal

Creativity isn’t reserved for artistic geniuses. It’s for everyone.

I travelled through my whole life thinking I wasn’t creative. At school, creativity was associated with art (like drawing or painting). I was never good at those things. It wasn’t until I started messing around in tools like Canva making my own designs, or journalling in Obsidian a couple years ago until I started to think to myself “huh… I feel creative right now… that’s weird”.

The truth is everyone is creative, even if you don’t think you are. We’re creating all day every day. Think about it. You think about what you want to have for lunch, and then make it. You set your health and fitness goals, and then go and work towards them. You think about a person you love, you tell them and then create a relationship. You think about having a child, and then you bring one into this world. It’s all creation - an idea that starts in your mind which you then bring to fruition.

Rick Rubin, author of The Creative Act: A Way of Being, believes that creators are translators for the messages the universe is broadcasting, and he suggests that great ideas come from tapping into the larger creative energy of the universe.

“Think of the universe as an eternal creative unfolding.
Trees blossom.
Cells replicate.
Rivers forge new tributaries.
The world pulses with productive energy, and everything that exists on this planet is driven by that energy.
Every manifestation of this unfolding is doing its own work on behalf of the universe, each in its own way, true to its own creative impulse.” — Rick Rubin.

Okay, so how do you access this?

You need to let go of your need to control, your expectations, your perceptions and opinions. Leave them all at the door. And yes, you’ve gotta stop caring about what other people might think. 

All of these things cause you to fragment your consciousness and lose yourself, which creates a scenario that is the antithesis of creation.

The key to tapping into this universal creative flow is to get of your own way and allow creativity to start flowing through you. 

No Idea is Original

“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” - Mark Twain.

If creativity is universal, and it flows through us rather than from us, then no idea is truly original.

This was yet another myth I subscribed to. I thought I couldn’t be creative because I didn’t have any completely original ideas to share. No wonder. 

An original idea doesn’t just come from nowhere. An idea that you have comes to you through your very own unique filter of reality, which is based on your upbringing, culture, environment, personal disposition and experiences. Whilst the idea itself might not be original… you are.

So if you then took an idea that sparked something in you and created on it, you’d produce a piece of work, art or creative expression that is entirely unique to you. This is where the myth breaks down. There’s no one else on the planet that’s quite like you.

Once you free yourself from this limiting belief, the act of creating suddenly doesn’t seem so daunting. 

Then with that in mind, you’ll look around at other creators and their work and you’ll notice exactly what we’re talking about here. Their ideas aren’t original, but their representation and expression of them are.

It’s at this point you start to think to yourself… “I can do this too”.

Work That Feels Like Play

All the creatives you see and look up to on the internet that are now somebodies, started off exactly like you and I - nobodies. Figuratively speaking, everyone is a somebody.

But I noticed they all have something in common. They love what they do on such a deep level that they do it out of pure joy and obsession. The concept of failure almost becomes unrealistic. 

They’ve found work that feels like play. And guess what? It’s linked to childlike curiosity. When you follow your curiosity, you’re really just exploring, learning, being creative and having fun.

When you find that, something magical happens. All the problems you create in your head about how to start, what you’ll do and if you’ll be successful begin to fade away. None of it matters.

Then you begin to ‘work’, and you feel deeply engaged in effortless flow. Most call this flow state, but I prefer to think about it as the Taoist principle Wu Wei. It’s the principle of not forcing in anything that you do. Moving in concordance with nature, rather than against it. The art of sailing rather than the art of rowing.

This all enables you to do one thing: keep going. 

If you keep going because you’re following your curiosity, doing work that feels like play…

It’s pretty hard to “fail”.

Supercharged Catalyst for Growth

Okay, that sounds a bit intense. But seriously.

I’ve started many things and given up shortly after. It’s easy to quit when you’re not obsessed with following your curiosity.

I always thought of myself as someone that had a growth mindset. That’s what I used to tell myself and everyone around me. 

But coming online as myself to write and create mirrored a bunch of blind spots to me that I was clearly unwilling to see.

I’ve had to really take a good look at myself, in all areas of life. I’ve tackled issues of over-thinking, over-controlling, over-planning, procrastinating, and being overly self-critical, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

I’ve journaled, meditated and contemplated more now on purpose, meaning and fulfilment in life more than I ever have before.

I’ve had massive breakthroughs in therapy, my level of consciousness and spirituality.

I can wholeheartedly say, even if this all ended after this post, it’s been the most engaging, wondrous and energising experience since I got here in late December - and I’ve only written a few posts so far.

If you are someone who thinks of themselves as growth minded, you’ll know what I mean when I say there’s nothing better than being presented with an alternate reality you didn’t know existed, and then completely upgrading your belief system as a result.

The Ripple Effect

This one is probably one of the most rewarding, if not the most rewarding experience of the creative journey.

My city is limited in several ways. Population, cultural and geographical limitations mean that my perceptions and worldview is capped by my physical circumstances. The internet is not capped by such constraints, it’s infinite.

I’ve been here for a month, I’ve only written a few posts and I’ve already met so many amazing people who I’m honoured to now call friends. I’ve been exposed to new ideas, new belief systems and new worldviews.

I’ve experienced real connection, all because I’m allowing myself to follow my natural curiosity. 

Then there’s contribution. Yes, it might not feel like you’re helping anyone in the early days. And yes, it’s both hard and weird posting into the void and wondering if anyone cares. But that’s not the point (find work that feels like play, remember). 

What if by sharing just a few things online, you could help someone from the future who’s going through the same as you are now?

And what about if just by doing this you not only help someone from the future, you help yourself right here and now too?

I believe that’s the whole point of this. We create our own problems which we can then solve with creative energy, and if we share it with the world, we can do the same for someone else.

So, what are you waiting for? 

Leap into the unknown and start creating. 

Who knows what could happen.

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