The Natural Path to Creativity


Imagine that you have been lying in a hospital bed for a year. The only sense you've really used is your sight and your hearing. If you were suddenly taken out of that environment, would you even be able to walk? Probably not; all your other senses would have atrophied.

That is an analogy that comes from Kevin Reeve, director of Tracker School, the largest tracking, nature, and wilderness survival school in the world. Located in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, the school has taught an estimated 70,000 students for more than 22 years.

"The natural world gives you a chance to use all of your senses to the fullest degree," says Reeve. "Ultimately, you become a better synthesizer. And I believe that synthesis is what makes for great creativity.

"To me, creativity means utilizing your whole brain. So much of our society numbs us to using our brains. It's what we call the "Homer Simpson syndrome"; the typical mental midget who hardly uses his brain at all. At the other end of the spectrum is what we call the "aboriginal brain." When you look at aboriginal or native trackers, they utilize 80 to 100 percent of their brain's potential. They have developed new neuro-pathways in order to be successful trackers.

"The whole idea of becoming a tracker is that it forces your brain to think in new ways. You have to look for details while you're seeing the big picture. You're looking at the ground, but you're hearing all the sounds and 'reading' the landscape. The translation of this is that when I get into the 'regular' world, I'm much better at seeing patterns. Learning to look at interactions in the natural world teaches you how to spot all different levels of connections in your life. You start to see synchronicity between things that are seemingly unrelated. But when you study the patterns and relationships, you realize they're all a part of the same process.

"It's all part of learning to be much more aware of what's going on around you. One of the biggest deterrents to awareness, however, is 'the same old thing.' You get into a rut. You get out of bed and shave your face starting on the same side every day; you brush your teeth in the same way; you have your rituals. We all do. The problem is that you're not aware of what you're doing. You might even drive to work and not remember the drive at all.

"When animals get into that rut, they are extremely vulnerable. The animals that stay alive are the ones that are constantly aware. The oldest buck is the one that figured out how to vary his routine so he wouldn't be preyed upon.

"Too many people live in that rut, in that "Homer Simpson" state where they don't have to use their brains. There is no way to be creative in a rut. One of the things that we tell people is to always be a tourist. Even if you've been in a place 100 times before, look at it through the eyes of a tourist. See it for the first time. Force yourself out of the rut of the routine. Take the time to really look at and experience what is going on around you. Utilize your whole brain your whole life."

Sometimes you've got to let everything go—purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything...whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.

—Tina Turner,
singer




Diamond Power. Gems of Wisdom From America's Greatest Marketer
Diamond Power: Gems of Wisdom from Americas Greatest Marketer
ISBN: 1564146987
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 207
Authors: Barry Farber

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