In my last post I described an imaginary conversation between two internal voices. One voice wanted to experience being the creator and the other one was scared and wanted to lie down and watch television.
Enter Kaizen.
The word Kaizen is Japanese and simply means taking small steps to a goal. This is not a new idea. Twelve step programs encourage you to live one day at a time. Others tell us to court presence and live in the moment.
Massive action is great when it works. Most of us can think of someone who created something by taking massive action. The philosophy of taking small steps is an alternative to massive action which for the average person works MUCH better.
What if we applied this philosophy to creativity?
- Take five minutes to work on a creative project instead of thinking you have to finish it all at once.
- Write three sentences of your book.
- Draw one diagram of your new invention.
- Try one new recipe.
- Or just sit and think about your project with a smile on your face! Hmmmmmmm, are you smiling?
Why does this work? Let’s face it. If the gap between where we are now and the imagined outcome or goal is just too big for us to successfully envision, most of us will respond with fear or do nothing.
But anyone can take one small step and then bask in the feeling of accomplishment.
Will you become a creativity basker?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Regarding Kaizen, this is a great step for us to learn to take.
Step by Step…is what our company logo saying is for moving ahead with communication goals.
Similar in nature to Kaizen. In the west we want it all right now, like ‘Veruka Salt’ in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Many times if we just let it cook, it becomes better and better with time. There is wisdom in waiting and letting it all unfold.
I like the idea of giving it a few minutes, and letting it steep, like a good tea bag. Perhaps the idea will tell us how it wishes to take form if we just listen. If we unearth the seed to see how it is doing, we inadvertently un-do the growth.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.
By the way, I love your visual. Namaste, Nancy
We have been in a cocoon…
Cocoon
Along a dusty road in India there sat a beggar who sold cocoons. A young boy watched him day after day, and the beggar finally beckoned to him.
“Do you know what beauty lies within this chrysalis? I will give you one so you might see for yourself. But you must be careful not to handle the cocoon until the butterfly comes out.”
The boy was enchanted with the gift and hurried home to await the butterfly. He laid the cocoon on the floor and became aware of a curious thing. The butterfly was beating its fragile wings against the hard wall of the chrysalis until it appeared it would surely perish, before it could break the unyielding prison. Wanting only to help, the boy swiftly pried the cocoon open.
Out flopped a wet, brown, ugly thing which quickly died. When the beggar discovered what had happened, he explained to the boy “In order for the butterfly wings to grow strong enough to support him, it is necessary that he beat them against the walls of his cocoon. Only by this struggle can his wings become beautiful and durable. When you denied him that struggle, you took away from him his only chance of survival.”
May the walls of your cocoon be just thick enough to allow you to struggle just long enough to emerge the beautiful person I already know you to be. Namaste, Nancy