[Ailist] Re: Today (May 31, 2009) is the 8th annual What You Think upon Grows

[Bruce Elkin]

> And my experience is that the key is focused, aligned (congruent) and
> consistent action that generates the creative force.  In addition, when many
> are working on the same clear vision and stay focused, aligned and
> consistently act together they can change the world.
> Cheri

Hi Cheri, AllŠ
I think you¹re right about this, and I think there¹s a bit more to it.

Focused, aligned action generates momentum, which is a key part of ³the
creative force.  And there are two other forces in play as well that
generate ³creative force².

First, motivation which arises out of desire (love!) of what you¹re creating
and a clear picture (vision) of what your result will look like, fully
completed. This is not a general ³vision statement² which can mean all
things to all people, but a clearly specified description of the end result,
clear enough that everyone would recognize the result if they created it.

Second, and IMO, the most important is the ³creative tension² (or structural
tension) that arises from a clear, compelling vision of a desired result,
and an accurate, objective, emotionally neutral assessment of the current
state of that result (the current reality). In the act of creating, creators
hold both vision and reality in mind, simultaneously, thereby setting up
this creative tension.

Creative tension not only generates the primary energy for creating, it also
provides an organizing structure (a container for action) that keeps the
action steps aligned and congruent, and leads to momentum.

So, in the act of creating, the three sources of energy ‹ motivation,
creative tension, and momentum ‹ complement each other. When motivation
fades, as it often does when things get difficult, creative tension does the
heavy lifting, leading to increased momentum. When creative tension fades as
the gap between vision and reality closes, momentum derived from doing
becomes the primary source of energy. Then as you close in on the final
result, motivation (excitement) is rekindled. Momentum and the rekindled
motivation empower you to follow through to completion.  To create real and
lasting results, we need all three sources of energy relating to each other
in an integrated fashion.

To do so, we need the universal elements of the act of creating integrated.
We need our action/doing to be driven by vision, grounded in current
reality, and focused on action-learning that closes the gap between vision
and reality. When we have all that working for us, we have awesome
power‹alone, and in groups.

At least, that¹s how it seems to me. It¹s more holistic and integrated than
the simplistic, one-off cliché approaches Howard and I object to. What do
you think?

Cheers!
Bruce
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BRUCE ELKIN: Helping You Create What Matters Most‹
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