Eyes open to the dreaded sound of the alarm as the day’s list fills your head. Work, children, deadlines, commitments, everyday chores and any of a thousand other things conspire to compress our days into a blur of nonstop activity. Programmed from an early age, the speed of life is perceived to equal success. Be first, be the fastest, work the longest, hardest and most intense and you’ll win.
So, how does this perception and the speed of modern life jive with the creative process?
No doubt the added pressure of an impossible deadline can sometimes spurr wonderful ideas. This is especially true for the procrastination prone who subconsciously need pressure to get engaged. But when it comes to pure creative exploration, generating an original thought or developing a "big idea", speed can actually drag you down.
Nature flows with a rhythm felt in all living things. Though a howling wind or rolling thunder may be frantic, the gentle pulse of an unseen energy permeates all that is. Slowing down and allowing time to connect will allow nature to resonate deep within us. To do so, one can find a profound source of creative inspiration more valuable than anything man has ever made.
Be slow. Take the time to get outside and get into the groove of nature's rhythms. Notice the small creatures that are normally obscured by the blur of life. Be aware of the details, the patterns that occur naturally, constantly, like the sun breaking the horizon or the light flickering through the trees. Breath deep and connect to the power of slow.
