Creating a gentle phoenix and creative play

A Gentle Phoenix discussion topic

Copyright 2008 by K. Ferlic,   All Rights Reserved

Creating a gentle phoenix and creative play
Using play to access our creative power
Look to regain the ability to creatively play and returning to the most creative state creative play
Look to enter the most creative state of being and remaining there
Find Creative freedom

Probably the single greatest thing we can do to get started in learning how to create a gentle phoenix in our life for any creative endeavor is to learn to reenter a state of creatively play and experience the freedom of creative play. It needs to be realized, the experience of freedom and the freedom to freely creatively play are the characteristics of the Source of Creation. This is why Creation is said to consciousness at play with itself. This is why it is said Creation arise out of a place of "no-thing-ness" for there are no forms to which we are our mind is, or can be, attached that restricts our freedom and free flow of our energy. It needs to be understood, there are no judgments on what we create. But there are consequences to what we create for the time and place of their creation. It is our attachments and judgments of our mind which restrict our freedom. In realizing creating a gentle phoenix is to move to becoming like the wind, free of attachments, we can see how play and the ability to play becomes essential in creating a gentle phoenix.

In this regard, whatever approach we take we should look to make what we do playful and becoming lost in the play that we do. We should try to move to create a state of play or allow what we do to become play. In particular, a form of play where we fully engages the body and the feminine aspect of our being for the feminine aspect of our being is the key to the gentle phoenix. We need to remember that it is the feminine aspect of creation/Creation which gives life to, and sustains, a creation. Even if we purse the masculine path, we can still find ways to engage the body in what we do. Engaging the body will pull us close to the feminine aspects of our being

Also, we need to realize, no matter what path we take, mind will always try and be in control of our life even when we are creating something mind has never experienced. Even thought it does not have that minimum set of experience to create what we desire it will try and remain in control whatever approach we take. As such, the easiest way to keep mind occupied and out of the way of what we are trying to create is through creative play.

Since we know our mind will try and inject itself and take control, there is no reason why we cannot give mind things to do that will keep it busy yet assist us in our journey. One way we can engage the mind it to allow it to be creatively  free to play in our creative imagination  exploring options, alternatives, possibilities, and the like to improve the whatever task we do on the journey. Or, we can pursue some of the tasks in the file "Things that can be done to help create a gentle phoenix" and/or contemplate some of the concepts and ideas in the "Concepts and ideas to explore to create the conditions for a gentle phoenix."

Additionally, it is helpful to use our mind to explore options and possibilities in our creative imagination, and then bring those option into reality through some type and kind of playful ritual and meta-theater. This can be extremely powerful if we are able to explore our dreams and visions and then play them out in front of a select individual or a group of trusted individuals as if on a stage. Doing such a thing will create a powerful change within is. Such a playful experience can be the catalyst to catalyze us to move forward to manifest our dream/vision or it can allows us to see the dream or vision we carried was more from our mind that something from our heart to which we wanted to devote our life. Similarly, if we play out our desire for gentle phoenix to the best of our ability as if we were "in front" of people in some way as if on a stage in a performance - purely in play - the change will happen and we will open ourselves to the insights needed to create it. But we have to chose to play it out.

What is really being proposed here is to use the fact that our inner world is reflected in the outer. It is to play out part of the development of our inner world and the unseen world in the physical world to get a better feel and understanding as to what we desire to create. As such, much of our play and performance described here would be hidden from people or at least from the masses until we have the passion and strength of will to life it in the world. It is not about keeping it secret. It is more about having time to develop the strength to go into the world much like an infant needing time to grow and to develop before it goes into the world.

What is discussed here is about the inner world and the types and kinds of discussions that go on behind the close doors of the board rooms and the like until what is desire is found. It is what goes on in the discussion with ourselves and behind closed doors with those we feel safe. It is what goes on behind the scenes in any organization. It is about what goes on in the mind and unseen. We need to create is a way to explore that inner world of the creative imagination  and look to make it real in a playful meta-theater acted out. In that acting out, we will cause things to happen in the outer world but we will have time to develop a feel for what we do to be able to change it before we become committed to a particular course of actions. The playfulness of the ritual and meta-theater allows for iterating what we do until it feel right before we exit that inner world.

In some ways what is discussed here are the essence of ancient "Temple" rites. That is, rites that connect us with the creative powers/Creative Powers of creation/Creation that are then brought into the world. It is about creating rites and actions that hold our creativity sacred and played out in ritual and meta-theater. In doing so we create memories and a fertile ground for the ideas we need to manifest our desired creation. What we do will ripple out into the world through the inspiration provided by both the people who participate and our new set of memories about what we desire to create. What this means is to create opportunities in a protected space such as some type and kind of learning or retreat center where the creative imagination  is allowed to be played out like the performance on stage in this protect space to be observed and witness by either the participants and/or an small audience. That in turn will cause the thinking to become different of all those involved because of what they experienced. It is the thought being made flesh. The ritual or meta-theater that is preformed becomes a seed which will grow and unfold.

This also brings up a corollary on which people need to become educated. What they do and act out behind closed doors is creating more of their world than they could possible imagine. All those private meeting, discussion and actions that go on where people think they are unseen  is what is fueling the world they experience. That in turn brings us back to the creative powers of sexuality and what people act out in that state behind closed doors. But this also applies to all those secret deals or things people do they don’t want to be seen. In essence they are going to the creative Temple and fueling their life.

In any case, whatever we give mind to do it should be something that holds our creativity sacred. Our creativity and our creative imagination  are our greatest gifts. We know what they are being served when we can literally feel an expansion of our consciousness into the infinity of our being and experience what it feels like to be that expansion. We can experience the free and unfettered blossoming of our creative spirit. We can feel it and know what it feels like to have our creativity blossom and be in the fullness of being. We can feel the freedom within our being to explore options. When we are in wonderment and "ah" our own creativity and creative insights, we know we are allowing our creativity to flourish.

In returning to a state of creative play there are four issues we will face. The primary issues will be pain. In particular, the pain we experience in the loss of our creative play early in life. We will find it necessary to revisit many of the experience we had where our creative play was thwarted and release the energy bound in those experiences. The best way to do this all depends on the individual and the experiences they have had. For some it is as simply as remembering them and talking about them. Others need therapy and/or psychological counseling . Some seek spiritual or religious help or an alternative practice like a shamanic soul retrieval. Here the recommendation is to ask our intuitive guidance to lead us to the type and kind of individuals who could help us in the fastest, easiest and gentlest way. Then honor the guidance that which is received.

In addition to the pain there will also be two issue closely related to the pain. One is we have to deal with the response patterns we developed to protect ourselves from future pain because of the pain we experienced. Many of these response patterns are deeply embedded in our lives and how we have lived and responded to life. We need to remember that many of them are childish and do not really serve an adult human being. These patterns were formed very early in life as a very young child with a child’s mind to protect itself form whatever pain it faced, including the pain we feel when we displease our care givers. As a result, many of these patterns are the foundation of our response to life. Rather than responding to life in an adult fashion we respond to life in a childish way based on this ingrained protective response patterns. Attempting to change these response patterns may cause many aspects of our life to crumble.

It is here having calibrated our internal compass is essential. When we attempt to change these patterns we will be literally stepping out of mind and into the unknown. When we step out of mind and how we have responded to life, we need some way to keep our bearing and not get lost. By following our internal compass, we can keep focused and move our lives directly toward what we desire to create and experience no matter how much our inner and outer world changes.

The second issue closely related to the pain we experienced in early life is fear. In addition to developing response patterns to protect ourselves from the pain we experience, we also developed fears. Here again, these fears arise from a child’s mind and their way of perceiving the fear will not necessary allow an adult to face the true hazard which my lie in the fear. Rather the adult becomes debilitated by a childhood fears whose true hazard could be faced if one is willing to face the fear and it origins (if it can be determined).

How we face our fears and what we need to do relative to any fear we have is unique to who and what we are. The recommendation here is that any fear we have we need to do a hazard analysis or hazards review of any fear we have to ensure the real hazard is being addressed. How we deal with the remaining ghost that continually haunts us is another issue. But knowing the true hazard that give rise to the ghost of fear goes a long way in disarming it. Here again, the recommendation is to consult our intuitive guidance to lead us to the best way to deal with the fear. We need to remember, any fear we have is our fear. Ultimately we are the one who will resolve the fear with or without the help and assistance of another. Another cannot do the work we ourselves must do.

The fourth issue we face in returning to a creative state of play is a surprising issue. It is the one of the two greatest obstacles to entering the most creative state of being. Once we are able to return to the most creative state of being and to spontaneous and innocently discover and explore ourselves and our world, we find that we are in an adult body. An adult body is different than a child’s body. The mature adult has the element of sexuality. In returning to a state of creative play, we will be faced with the issue of spontaneously and innocently exploring sexuality. Many try and intellectualize away this issue or default to the programming their society, religion or spirituality provide. However when it comes to accessing the intention for our life and what we incarnated to do, and/or entering the most creative state of being, such a simple minded approach will not work. One will be force to face their sexuality if not explore their sexuality in one or more ways. Exactly what any one individual will need to do or how they need to go about dealing what their sexuality is again unique to the individual and the intention for their life and how much the have denied their sexuality and in what ways throughout their life..

In actually there is a two step process here relative to sexuality. On step is to face the issues of sexuality that prevent or keeps us from creative play and returning to creative play. These issues are similar to the pain we faces in first losing our ability to creative play. The only difference is that the pain we face has an element of sexuality associated with it in some way. The second step is related to exploring the creative powers of sexuality and this set of issues is faced when entering the most creative state of play and attempt to sustain this state. The web site "Sexuality and Creativity - Creative Sexuality" was created to help understand sexuality and it relationship to our creativity and our creative ability and creative power.

If there is difficult in moving into a state of play in any way for any reason, the topic "A way to return to a state of childlike play and becoming opening to feeling without addressing the issue of our sexuality" may be helpful.

Returning to a state of creative play is one thing. Entering and residing in the most creative state of being is another. There are three issues that determine if we are able to enter the most creative state of being and remain there to create an optimum gentle phoenix. On this point it needs to be noted that we are talking about a spectrum. We do not have to be able to remain the most creative state of being to have elements of gentle phoenix in our transformation. Rather we are talking about creating the optimum gentle phoenix possible.

The first issue is relatively simple. It is to be able to be creatively  free in our creative imagination  to explore any and all options. The issue here is what limits and boundaries do we impose on ourselves that we are unable or unwilling to explore any and all possible options in our own creative imagination.

There is the understanding that we create with our thoughts. That is, we become what we think about. Or, our creative life energy flows to create a experience of that on which we focus our attention and awareness. One repercussion of this understanding is that we should only have good thoughts however we define good. This, of course, makes perfect sense when it comes to creating with our thoughts. However, exploring options to find creative solutions is an entirely different issue. Here we do not hold thoughts, we explore thoughts.

To find truly creative solutions to any situation we face, we must be free to entertain any and all possibilities in our creative imagination . If we cannot do this we will not find the solution we seek. Probably the greatest application of this understanding involves fighting an adversary in war. But the principle her applies to any issue we face. In war, to be able to go to war, we have to hold the position that we are right and our opponent is wrong. If we agreed, then why would we go to war?

But if we are right, our thinking does not allow us to entertain the opposite position for we think that opposition position is wrong. But to defeat the enemy we must think like them and view from their perspective to know how they will respond and act in a given situation. We need to look to see how they would approach us to defeat us. Few are unable to do this. If they could, they would always be "out foxing" their enemy. They would be able to anticipate the move of their adversary. Most do not have the flexible mind to see both sides of an issue. The more we are unable to think like our enemy, the more we will be blind sided and surprised. We will simply be unable to see why they do what they do and how they do it. We will be unable to anticipate their actions. However, if we can think like them, we can anticipate their moves and be prepared. However, the more we can think like our adversary, we may find they are right and we are wrong and we are going to war over the wrong issue. It is here, in being able to see, and become both sides of an issue that we truly transcend duality.

It has been found the easiest way to remove the limits and barriers in our creative imagination  is to adopt a creativity perspective where we hold our creativity sacred. To hold our creativity sacred is to allow everything else to be malleable, no matter what it is if it does not allow us to be creatively free to explore and experiment within our creative imagination. It is simply about giving ourselves both the permission and the freedom to explore options in our own mind.

Giving ourselves permission and the freedom to explore options is relative easy except when it comes to one of two issue. They are sex and the creative power of sexuality, and the creative power of creation/Creation which most attribute to their concept of God.

Sex and sexuality have incredible creative power associated with them. Most are familiar with its ability to create physical life through sex. However, few have ever consciously explore the depth and breadth of what can be done through the creative power sexuality, especially on an energetic level. Most use the creative powers of sexuality subconsciously or unconsciously and are not really aware of what they are doing when they use it. In entering the most creative state of being as a adult, one should not be surprised if sexuality becomes an issue one way or another. The web site "Sexuality and Creativity - Creative Sexuality" was created to address what has been observed in this area to help make one’s transformation faster, easier and gentler.

The second of the two greatest obstacles is our understanding of where does the creative power of Creation lies. There is an ancient Arab proverb which says, "Trust in God but tether you camel." It acknowledges there are thing for which we are responsible and things for which the creative powers/Creative Powers of Creation are responsible. We cannot expect the Universe to do what we must and can do and we cannot expect to change what the Universe wants. In this regard, where the creative power lies totally depends on what we desire to create and why.

The creative power/Creative Power of creation/Creation can be seen to lie on a spectrum. At one extreme all the creative power lies us. At the other extreme all of the creative power lies in Creation in one way or another. For any given perspective we hold, for any particular creative endeavor the creative power available to us lies somewhere in between these two extreme. However, if we are will to do the work to change our perspective, we can access a different perspective and change the creative power available to us. In doing so, we can make things impossible in one perspective and an every day occurrence in another. We only need to look in the change in perspective humanity has been going trough in the last few hundred years to see this effect.

It most cases it is our belief of where the creative power/Creative Power of creation/Creation lies as embodied in our concept of God which constrains our creative power and creative ability. If we are willing to experiment, we will find that the consciousness within, or behind, Creation that most could call God does not constrain our creative ability and creative power. Rather, it is how and what we think and believe that constrains. The question with which we are faced is does the creative power/Creative Power of creation/Creation lie in our concept of God or does it lie somewhere else that we have not yet explored. Here again, most have never given themselves permission to spontaneously and innocently explore their concept of God and where the power/Creative Power of creation/Creation lies. To enter the most creative state of being, one can expect to be faced with this exploration. In this regard, the web site "Creative Spirituality" was created to address some of the issues related to creativity and spirituality.

Find Creative freedom (Top)

The essence of a gentle phoenix lies in our ability to explore possibilities in our creative imagination. The first thing we will need to address is to look to see if we are creatively  free in our creative imagination and work any and all the reasons why we can’t have creative freedom. We need to seek to eliminate the limits and barriers we place on our ability to explore any and all options. If we cannot find freedom in our creative imagination, we will be unable to create the condition that will result in a gentle phoenix for our creative endeavor. Quite simply, we will be unable to explore all the options that can make for an optimum gentle phoenix. We may create aspects of our transformation that are faster, safer and gentler, but will not come close to optimizing what we can experience

We then need to look to how it could be possible to bring what we find in our creative imagination into a physical experience of some type either literally, symbolically or in some type and kind of surrogate experience. In essence we must experiment and prototype what we desire to experience to see if we can manifest what we desire. In allowing ourselves to experiment to see what does and doesn’t work in the world in which we find ourselves, we can always go back and look for a solution that does work. Often what we find is that it is not that our solution will not work but, rather, we have not done the necessary inner changes to allow it to work.

Some things we can do to find that creative  freedom is to first of all find a safe and secure space. Someplace in which we are protected and free to experiment. We then need to set a clear intention to both enter a state of play and surface the path we need to take to create the experience we desire. Before entering this space or immediately upon entering we may want to have an have a literally and/or figuratively inner and outer cleaning so as to open ourselves to what we are to experience. In preparing ourselves we need to become aware what pain and/or traumatic memories arise after the intention is set and we begin our actions. Anything that arises must be explored for it is part of the path.

We can begin the process by going to a state of wildness through the body in our environment. It is to give the body freedom of movement and to step out of mind into what the body feels. It is to create a state of play through the body for what we desire comes from beyond the mind and what it usually experiences. It is in the diversion of the creative play and becoming lost in what we feel that insight about the path we need to follow arise and are revealed.

We need to use this safe and secure space to see differently. It is a place to see something not seen and experienced before. Such experiences broaden the mind and give it a larger set of experience so at to better characterize the experience of the unknown it faces in a creative endeavor.

We can stay in the space as long as we like, looking discovering and exploring. We can even develop the feelings as to how to take our state of play into the world so that we can always have it with us when we need it.

Related topics
Topics on, or about, play and creative play
Accessing our creative play

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