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In any creative endeavor, there is
price to be paid. That price is inescapable and unless it is
paid, the creation cannot unfold. Because a creative endeavor takes
one into the unknown, we don’t, and can’t, really know what will
have to be sacrificed to pay that price. Often there is a reluctance
or even fear at moving forward into the unknown.
A creative passion, or a passionate desire to create what we desire,
along with supplying the energy to catalyze the creative effort,
will cause one to confront their fear and find a way to move
forward. It can confront the fear wisely or blindly. Sometimes it
can even be reckless in it desire to move forward. Reckless action
that is confined to an individual’s life and does not affect anyone
else, may be judged as unacceptable but it does not really concern
another until the other is in some way affected.
The problem is that the
price to be paid has an internal and external component. As a
result of the nature of
the creative process, part of that external component will need
to be paid by another. Hence the other’s fears, concerns and
expectations become entwined with what we desire to create. How much
the are entwined and can influence the creative endeavor depends on
what we are choosing to create. When our creative passion is wise
and can effectively deal with another’s fears, concerns and/or
expectations, any problems that arise can usually be effectively
addressed. However, when our creative passion is blinded especially
to the concerns of the other, enormous difficulties will arise and
often the creative endeavor will be able to unfold. Or, if it does
unfold, it will be much less than what it can be.
Because the creative passion can be blinding, passion has not always
been seen in the most favorable way and/or complimentary way. Often
it is seen in another or experienced as fanatical, reckless and/or
blinding. Often one is blinded to the world around them when in
passion. In this blindness one is not necessarily sensitive to the
needs and/or concerns of others. It is here the creative passion is
seen as destructive when in fact it is only trying to pay the price
that must be paid for the creative endeavor to unfold.
If we look at the typical definition, we find the weakest definition
of passion describes it as a strong desire or affection for some
object or cause. In this regard, the object of such a desire or
affection is called our passion. From a creativity perspective, our
desired creation is our passion and our desire to create causes a
passion to arise within our being.
Yet, there is definition of passion that is much stronger that what
is state here. Passion is also said to be any intense, extreme or
overpowering emotion or feeling. It is often associated with ardent
affection or love if not outright intense sexual desire or lust. In
keeping with this definition it is also seen as an overwhelming
anger or rage and/or an outburst of strong feeling, especially and
outburst of violence or anger. In fact, in the past the use of the
word passion in philosophy and psychology referred to the state or
condition of being “acted upon.” That is, the passion overtakes an
individual or where one in a passion is experienced a s though they
are possessed by some spirit.
There is, of course, a truth in this understanding about passion.
But what is described here is really no different that enthusiasm
for what is desired. The difference between enthusiasm and passion
is really only whether or not that energy that gives rise to passion
or enthusiasm is experienced and judged destructive.
When you are enthusiastic you entire being is enthused with energy.
You are enthused with what you desire to do. Your whole life and
being become animated within the enthusiasm. Yet enthusiasm is seen
in a much more favorable light than passion. Enthusiasm is about
having a keen or animated interest in something or a preoccupation
with something. Yet to be preoccupied is only another way of say one
is blinded to other things. Similarly when one is enthusiastic, one
has an eager devotion to, or a fondness for, something and it causes
an intense, lively interest within one’s being. But that is not
really any different than having an ardent affection to something.
Similar to the concept of passion, there is an older use of the term
enthusiasm where enthusiasm was perceived, or viewed, as
supernaturally caused giving rise to religious fanaticism. Here
again, that is not really any different than saying someone is
possessed. The only issue is the degree of possession or control the
energy exerts over the individual.
Enthusiasm is really no different than passion and a passionate
single point focus. If you look at the definition of each above, you
can see what is described are essentially the same thing. The real
difference most often appears to be how that energy - that passion
or enthusiasm - is experienced by another. In particular if that
other see what one is doing as somehow threatening it is said the
individual is in a blinding passion. If another is not threaten, we
say the individual is just enthusiastic about whatever it is on
which they are focused. In reality there is really no different
between the enthusiastic and passionate individual. It is just how
the energy being expressed to pay the prices of the creative
effort.. How that energy is judged by another, why the energy is
being expressed the particular form that it is, and how that
expression is affecting the individual’s life and those with whom
the individual interacts are the real questions. Their answer can
made the different between creating a
painful transition or
a faster, easier and gentler way.
What needs to be understood, as discussed under the topic of “Energy
- an invariant within the creativity perspective” and “A
price to pay and the minimum set of requisite experience,” there
will always be a sacrifice in a creative process. Something of the
old must be given up to create the new. When something we don’t
really want needs to be sacrificed we tend to readily let go of
whatever it is. However, if something we want needs to be sacrificed
for the new creative effort, we then to hold onto the object rather
than face the loss. What we see as negative or destructive in our
creative passion or the creative passion of another is something we
simply do not what to let go and are unwilling to face what we need
to give up for a new creation to unfold.
It needs to be remembered, whenever one sees expressed in either the
enthusiastic or passionate individual, the energy of one’s creative
spirit seeks to give another what itself seeks. The energy that is
driving the passion or enthusiasm does not seek to harm. It seeks
only to unfold the new creation. The energy seeks the free
expression of its truth and seeks the same for others. It does not
seek the destruction of another. However, there are facets of the
existing form that may have to be destroyed to make room for the
new. So there are facets of the creative process that look as
thought this passion seeks to destroy. Some find this quite
paradoxical. Yet it is realizing that Creation is magical enough to
allow each of us to live true to the truth of our own being and yet
allow the other to remain free to do the same. That includes being
magical enough to find a way that can address the concerns, fears
and attachments that make paying the price of a creative endeavor
seem destructive.
How an individual acts in response to the energy and how they go
about destroying the old to create the new is another question. It
can be done in a faster, easier and/or gentler way if we set the
intention to do so. However, as stated previously, most are creating
subconsciously so they never really pay attention to what they are
doing and why. For almost all situations, there are faster ways,
there are easier ways and there are gentler ways. The question is
are you or the other sufficiently creativity aware and awake to
create that faster, easier and gentler way.
Although some of the old will have to pass away to make room for the
new, one can always look for that creative way to make the
transformation as easy and gentle as possible. When one is faced
with what they consider negative in the creative process, and/or
within their creative passion or that of another, they should go to
their intuitive guidance and ask “How can I make this process gentle
and/or more enjoyable and yet achieve what I desire?” Then
honor the intuitive guidance you get.
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