Pulse May 2018 | Page 41

wrong ones. Instead of pushing through the block, you take your foot off the gas. P: What is your favorite way to power pause when you can’t find that creative flow? S: I take a moment to give thanks. Creativity is a gift, not a commodity. It must be honored, appreciated and valued. Otherwise, the flow of creativity dries up. Then I find ways to disengage my mind. Play is great for that. I keep a yo-yo and a paddle ball near my desk. When I have an extended break, I reach for my guitar or drum. The idea, for me, is to savor this pause in my busy workday. Deep slow breaths help me to relax. At least once a day, I take a few minutes to lie on the floor. The position I assume, called repose, involves stretching my arms and legs as open as I can make them. I have found that repose wrings all the stress and tension from my body, which is both healthy and very productive. Creativity flows best when our bodies and minds are most at ease. P: What is the relationship between creativity and inspiration? S: Inspiration is a profoundly beautiful and enlivening experience that happens when everything comes together perfectly so that you can harness your creative power. The experience has three components: passion, presence and possibility. Passion drives the creative process. It captures deeply-felt emotions like love and joy, which make creativity so infinitely rewarding. Presence is the sensation of being completely alive, aware and engaged. The moment of inspiration feels fresh, as if you are waking up for the first time. Possibility is the feeling that any idea at all is accessible to you—here and now. When you are inspired, there is nowhere your imagination cannot take you. You can create when you are not feeling inspired, but virtually anyone can tell the difference. The experience of inspiration gets captured in whatever you create so that others can share in it. The true talent of artists is their ability to convey their own inspiration through their creative works. When you come in contact with a great work of art, you can feel the inspiration radiating from it. n “This life you are leading is a blank canvas, and you have the ability to create a masterpiece. ” CLICK HERE for dr. Shamas’ advice on channeling your inner creative—even if you don’t think of yourself as a creative type. May 2018 ■ PULSE 39