Energies of Creativity

July 10th, 2006 Fred McVittie Posted in Energy, Loehr, J. and Schwartz, T., Spirituality, Sport, Training |

Highly effective work by coaches Loehr and Schwartz uses the metaphor of energy, and particularly the metaphor of an energy economy, to underpin techniques for the optimisation of performance, particularly in the areas of sport and business. In this work, four different types of energy are identified; physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. (In this case the term ’spiritual’ is used loosely and may mean ‘intention’ or ‘mission’ or ‘purpose’). This model of different types of energy might also be usefully applied to the creative process, or the performance of creativity.

To engage succesfully/optimally in a creative process the following four energies need to be engaged:

• Physical - this is a combination of raw physical fitness, in which one is not physically ill, plus having possession of the actual physical skills necessary to carry out a creative act (which includes practical creative skills such as synectics, scamper, triz etc)
• Emotional - to optimally create one should have enough emotional balance to be able to function, and also be sufficiently ‘in touch’ with one’s emotions to be able to discriminate aesthetically.
• Mental - one should be in possession of sufficient knowledge about the domain of practice one is operating within, and have knowledge and information about the material and ideas one is using.
• Spiritual - one should have a reason to do it, even if this reason is a ‘bad’ one such as making money or pleasing people or showing off.

Some more about energies of Creativity

• More energy does not necessarily mean better art. Aim for enough of each type of energy rather than more than enough.
• There is a hierarchy of energy (this is important). You have to make sure the physical energy is in place first, then the emotional, then the mental, then the spiritual. If you don’t have the physical energy, nothing happens.

Loehr, J. and Schwartz, T. - The Power of Full Engagement. The Free Press, New York, 2005.