Unleash Your Creativity

 

11.12.2021 UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY Do you consider yourself a creative person? Though you may be inclined to say no, as Geshe Tenzin Wangyal writes in “How to Unleash Your Creativity,” “There is little in life that does not require at least some measure of creativity.” “Whether you are trying to compose a symphony, write an essay, find a job, cook a meal, or express an opinion, you cannot achieve your goal if you are not creative,” he writes. “But the fruits of your efforts will depend, in good part, on how you define creativity.” Wangyal goes on to explain how true creativity, according to the Dzogchen teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism, has to do with more than just ability or skill. Ultimately, he says, our ability to be creative has to do with our state of being. To harness the power of our innate creativity, we must tap into the “state of flow,” which occurs “only in the absence of hope and fear.” When you see a piece of great art, it’s easy to see this “state of flow.” In the three stories below, you’ll find a wealth of Buddhist art that showcases just this, through artful depictions of buddhas, bodhisattvas, dakinis, and deities, alongside a healthy dose of creative inspiration. If you’re looking for more Buddhist art in your life, there’s plenty to be found in Lion’s Roar’s 15th Annual Online Auction, our largest fundraising event of the year. May these great works bring a fresh, creative outlook to your weekend. —Lilly Greenblatt, Digital Editor, Lion’s Roar

Awakening to the Goddess: The Art & Activism of Mayumi Oda With her empowered imagery, she’s connected countless women, and men, to the divine feminine. She has, moreover, uncovered her own strength, unleashing her resolve to protect Mother Earth. Andrea Miller profiles the Japanese American visionary Mayumi Oda. Oda paints goddesses because she believes a “feminization” of our society is necessary if we wish to survive our current political and ecological crisis. In the goddess figure we find reverence for the earth. We find compassion, innate wisdom, and creativity. Preparing to paint, Oda meditates and traces sutras. “I calm down,” she says. “I clean my heart. Then I’m ready to get inspired, and whatever comes is coming from a bigger place than me.”

The Art That Illustrates Another Reality Do the strange and potent images of Tibetan art—so often misunderstood—represent a deeper and truer reality? Francesca Fremantle on the symbolism of awakened mind. Brightly-colored Buddhas holding strange ritual implements, meditational deities wearing human bone ornaments, voluptuous goddesses and terrifying, wrathful manifestations—the exotic Buddhist art of Tibet is often misunderstood through ignorance of its meaning and purpose. We ask, how can such strange images have a spiritual function? More fundamentally, since the teaching and practice of Buddhism is concerned with realization of the nature of the mind, what place can these gods, goddesses and demons have within it?

How to Unleash Your Creativity Informed by the profound teachings of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal tells us how to unleash powerful creative energy we can use anywhere, from the office to the art studio. Creativity can be seen as a state of natural flow, one that spontaneously and effortlessly gives birth not only to manifest form, but to all experiences of body, energy, and mind. This state of flow, which has its roots in openness, occurs only in the absence of hope and fear. It is at once naturally joyful, peaceful, compassionate, expansive, and powerful. When you know how to tap fully into this open, creative flow, its beneficial qualities can extend to any area of your life. You can paint more masterful paintings. Your music can have more depth of connection. Your writing can be more genuine and moving. You will be able to solve problems at work, resolve conflicts with loved ones, or even shift your thought patterns with more natural spontaneity.

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