People who are immersed in a creative process ' whether it be writing poetry, painting a picture, preparing a cordon-bleu meal, composing music, creating a garden, working out mathematical formulae, planning a holiday itinerary, writing up a scientific experiment, creating a computer program or choreographing a dance ' exist in their own special dimension during their period of creativity. We often hear of people isolating themselves for example in a mountain retreat or a beach shack to write a book or paint a picture.

Evoking Creativity

To evoke our creative energy it seems as though we need a span of time before us … and time, that all too absent commodity in our busy lives, is often hard to grab hold of – there are just so many daily demands and distractions. That's where Peaceful Place is an extremely useful tool.

There is usually a period of incubation where the idea of what one wants to create circulates in the 
mind. We think about it often and toss over various ideas in our minds. Our imagination comes to the forefront and we conjure up our power of fantasy and imagination.

The passion of commitment and joy of creation has a kind of euphoria – it can feel like being inside a cocoon from which the butterfly will emerge. Be persistent. Remember, Einstein once said that 
creative scientists are the ones with access to their dreams. Sometimes a dream will actually provide 
the solution to a problem. Also remember, Thomas Edison is reputed to have had over 11,000 
experiments to invent the light bulb before coming up with his final model. He wouldn't have been the one to discover it if he had given up in defeat on his ten thousandth try.

For a really serious job of innovation, discovery, research or invention, you will need your whole mind and deep concentration. Tell yourself that you're on the way to achievement – it is perfectly true, each time you work on the challenge. Great scientific discoveries are not made by chance – but by many hours of diligent thought and research.

Practical Results

I was talking to a doctor recently who amazingly, in the last ten years, has taught himself to communicate with computer programs by writing "computer language" to enhance his creative projects. He is thoroughly immersed in developing aspects of healing, which will revolutionise medical treatments. He imagines success, believes in the process and is thoroughly immersed in his work. One night he dreamed the answer. He woke up and wrote down everything he was told and what he saw in his dream. The next morning he read what he had written and did not understand the technical aspects of what he had written. He sought help from PhDs and he got the answer. He has built it and tried it successfully.

No doubt we have all heard stories similar to this. The keys for fostering creativity are to meditate (incorporating visualisation which deliberately uses the right brain), immerse yourself and believe in your work (or ideas), be vigilant (you never know when the answer will come), write down any answers received (either in meditation or dreams, remembering that they both happen - the Theta brain wave state), be persistent, and always ask that you get the answer for the Highest Good of All Concerned.

Deliberate Creativity

Often people who were only mediocre students, show great originality as adults. Einstein for example was told he was hopeless at mathematics when he was 16 years old. We are all individual and can be original in thought if we want to be. Our originality may not be as recognised as that of some of the world's "greats" - but it will be distinctive and ours. In some schools, young children are given the opportunity to make discoveries for themselves. Ideas of creativity are encouraged, which help to break free from rote-learning and the set syllabus.

It is always a good idea to challenge our creativity by thinking outside the square. Have you seen the "three-line" problem where the challenge is to connect nine dots arranged in a three-by-three matrix without lifting the pencil? The creative move here is to extend the line beyond the confines of the "square".

To deliberately use your right brain to solve any issue, make sure that you are comfortable and will not be distracted by discomfort, hunger, pain or other physical needs, say for 30 minutes or so, then use Peaceful Place CD No. 7 - Creativity. The CD helps you to relax and your thoughts to flow - they will come. When they come, you write them down. Stay focused and persist. You can continue this exercise on a bus or a train - make the time useful by allowing your mind to open to even more new ideas. Be vigilant, observant and be inspired.
 

More Practical Results

Even though I was brought up and trained to be an analytical thinker (Military Engineer) and a "prove-it-to-me" person, I now also consider myself to be a creative person. Mostly the birth of my books, tapes and seminars involved the creativity process.

Right now I am working with more creativity. Here's what has come up for me in my meditation. I want my work to reach more people and have asked myself how to do that. I came up with ideas for three focused websites - each with a different emphasis, being Relaxation and Releasing Stress, Personal Leadership and Student Learning. Each of the areas will require development of product (videos, tapes, DVDs, CDs) most of which I have got and, within each area, participants will have the additional option of going to seminars. In two of the areas, coaches will be needed, so that means I will need to have a program to Train the Coaches. These programs need to be ongoing in such a way that they do not require my presence. Marketing can be done through newspapers and magazines and the internet. This could be expensive - I could need partners or investors. I do not have the marketing expertise and therefore I need to develop a team of advisers/investors/partners. Maybe there are marketers who pay for advertising and will recover their funds out of sales. I will probably need a business plan.

The seed is sown. I intend, somehow, to accomplish my dreams. At least I've got a lot to work with - if anyone has any ideas that you think will assist me to achieve my dreams, then please contact me. I am open to all thoughts.

So pursue your dreams and keep the channels of creativity flowing. Deliberate use of our subconscious mind is awesome.
 

Success Stories

Thank you very much for thinking of me on my birthday. It was most unexpected but appreciated. It has only been a few weeks since I attended your seminar. I originally came along for a very different reason than I have ended up using your strategies for. My husband and I attended after friends had told us about your seminars - we hoped to set ourselves some goals that would get us over a flat time in our lives - not quite empty nesters, yet all our children grown up and our focus of many years (our kids) has changed. The consequences of which were leaving us quite negative and floundering around, without direction. You were able to help us with that and we are now on track with our goals. However, I also decided to use your strategies for weight release, something I had lost all faith in ever achieving. I meditate twice a day and have changed many bad habits that I have carried around for a very long time. I also began to realise the deeper reasons for my weight problem and I am working on those as well. I am feeling stronger and more in control than I have for years. Thank you for your wonderful life-changing strategies, I will keep you up to date on my successes. JN - Victoria.

It's been a couple of years since I did the 'CALM Life Skills Seminar'. I just wanted to thank you for all the help that your program has given me. The course really changed me. When I went to Sydney to do the seminar I was thinking of leaving home and wasn't sure of my future. I didn't feel I had control over my life. My real problem was that I didn't have 'Piece of Mind'. Since the seminar I went through a lot of stepping stones. Firstly I had to really find out who I was. There were several terrible tragedies in my life - so now welcome to anxiety. It took me a while to snap out of it, but I did eventually, with the help of meditation. Then a close cousin passed away after day surgery - so welcome again to anxiety. But this time I meditated - don't worry, I still get angry at her loss. Now for something positive! Now I'm Manager of my parents' Grazing Property, married and a proud stepfather. Anyway Sandy, again thank you. MP, NSW.