living in the pandemic times, creativity is demanded of us if we are to stay engaged, active and evolving, and, in fact, surviving. this seventh aspect of being human (in matthew fox’s “10 Cs of being human”) asks us to open to what jung called “the realm of the mothers”. it is the feminine in women and men that allows creative energy to be born. this is the realm of the imagination, where something previously unmanifest/unborn becomes manifest/born.
mihaly csikszentmihalyi, the author of the book “creativity: the psychology of discovery and invention,” gives a startling definition of the word.
“creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives … most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity… [and] when we are involved in it, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.”
it is the last phrase of this definition that is intriguing…living more fully than during the rest of life. this could also be seen as a definition of elderhood! in this last phase of life we can find the meaning in our life by tracing back to our innate creative source and giving birth to what is “interesting, important and human”. we can make the choice to live fully, moment to moment, in order to create our personal vision of ageing and eldering.
“creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives … most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity… [and] when we are involved in it, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.”
it is the last phrase of this definition that is intriguing…living more fully than during the rest of life. this could also be seen as a definition of elderhood! in this last phase of life we can find the meaning in our life by tracing back to our innate creative source and giving birth to what is “interesting, important and human”. we can make the choice to live fully, moment to moment, in order to create our personal vision of ageing and eldering.
