To know the difference between being creative and coercive.

I have said that the fifth discernment, knowing the difference between being simple and simplistic, is the test of whether or not we are approaching true humanity. The sixth, knowing the difference between being creative and coercive, is the determiner of what we do with our humanity.

We humans have been called the tool-using animals. The key element of this definition, the "tool-using" part, points to the truth that we humans must be about DOING. Our doing is not automatic, but involves at least some measure of premeditation. And the tools we use may be as simple as a rock or an antler, as sophisticated as a concept or an idea.

Whether we are merely human, as all of us are born to be, or truly human, as some of us are trying to be, we are still tool- users. Whether we are being creative or coercive in our doing depends upon what we select as tools and how we use them.

When we are casting about for tools, we need to find raw material that is suitable and available. Some raw material is already so suitable that it needs nothing more than the finding of it to be put into use, assuming it doesn't already belong to someone else. More about that later. So, if a certain shape rock will be just right for a prying fulcrum, I look for the rock in likely places.

Some raw material needs work before it can be used as the particular tool I have in mind. I either find it and transform it myself or pay someone else to do it. Pretty clear so far, huh? In fact, it seems to belabor the obvious.

THE OBVIOUS

I'm sorry, but we have to take a short break from the main topic. I've known it was coming, and it seems that this is the place for it. We now have to consider the obvious matters, the given, the things in our lives that are so apparent that we rarely think about them.

Why? We need to be aware of the obvious because our common assumptions are an important part of who we are. More, the obvious is raw material for our DOing, and as responsible humans, we need to know what we DO WITH it. See why this mini- investigation belongs here?

I'll give you the punch line first. We humans take the "givens" of our lives, and immediately start molding them into things we can make better use of.

Being tool users is such a natural part of us that perhaps we can't help it. In fact, you may be thinking right now, "OK, I take an obvious thing and change it into something I can use better. Hmm. What's wrong with that?"

But now, another part of you may be answering your own question, "Well, of course! If something is so basic and true that it is a given in life, if we change it at all, it will no longer be true and a given." As long as we are THINKING, (aware of what we are doing) we will never try to change what is a basic, obvious truth. But how often are we self-aware? Not too much of the time if we judge by results. Read on.

Here's an example. "What we know, we know. What we don't know, we don't know." Pretty basic. We have ways of moving things from one category (don't know) to the other (know). Most of those ways are called learning. But as we saw when dealing with discernments one and two, we shove things prematurely from the "Don't Know" category to the "Know" category all the time. First we act as though we really know something for certain. Then we actually convince ourselves that we do. Only when we are challenged on the point involved do we move back and say, "Oh yeah, I guess I really don't know for sure." Or, if we don't feel like giving up the point we simply silence the challenger.

You see, every time we mistake our perception of reality for reality itself, every time we confuse that which we believe for that which we know for sure, we are molding a given, a self-evident fact (what we know, we know; what we don't know, we don't know), into something else. We turn truth into lie. And we do it all the time. We do it without even thinking about it.

That is why someone like Jesus could look at the world around him and see truth, while most others looked at the same world and saw...the same old world they were used to seeing. A world in which they had re-formed the basic truths into something less than wonderful.

What does this discussion of THE OBVIOUS have to do with creativity?

Everything!

Creativity cannot exist upon a foundation that is not true and valid. You'll se why next.

BACK ON TRACK

OK, here is where we left off. The subject is knowing the difference between being creative and being coercive. We humans, tool using animals that we are, need a tool for a job. We look around for it. A rock will do. I find it on my own property. I am in business.

THE OBVIOUS which we will be dealing with here is,"What is mine is mine, what is not - is not."

Complications set in if the rock is on Fred's property. The obvious, er, I mean THE OBVIOUS thing to do would be to ask Fred if I can use his rock. Do I? Maybe, if Fred is there watching me. Often, though, don't we just pick it up and take it? Really now?

And don't you know we aren't just talking about rocks?

I stated earlier that the difference between being creative and coercive has to do with what tools we use and how we use them. Anything we use to get something done, I'll call a tool. The brush, the pigment, the canvas, the learned techniques, and even the inspiration, I'll call tools. These tools help the artist create a painting...if...
1. she has selected tools to which she has obtained clear title,
2. she lets the tools function as they were intended.

Probably you are wondering why I keep harping on this proper title thing. "Quit yapping about stealing rocks and get on to point #2!" I hear resounding in the ether.

Here's the problem: TOOLS CAN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY FOR YOU UNTIL THEY ARE PROPERLY IN YOUR USE. I don't know if this is a requirement built into us, or into the tools, or into the relationship. But if you will begin to pay very close attention to this possible rule of life, you will very quickly notice a substantial difference in the results of whatever it is that you do. If you are willing to experiment a little.

Let your own experience and results validate rule #1.

Of course, it shouldn't be a rule. It should be something we take for granted, but we so universally change to our own liking THE OBVIOUS "given" involved (what is mine is mine, what is not is not) that I not only have to state it as a rule, but must "go on" about it yet a little more.

Remember, when it comes to the OBVIOUS categories, there are ways of moving from the have-not to the have side, whether we are thinking of knowledge or ownership, or any of a number of other things. Where we foul ourselves, is our tendency to skip very necessary steps. Back to the artist.

Let's assume she has paid for or borrowed WITH PERMISSION all of the physical tools she will be using. That's quite a given, since many do not, and expect to get good work out of them. How about the other tools she uses?

Perhaps she is using techniques learned from people to whom she feels superior. Maybe it is just that she never, in any form, THANKED any of her teachers. But it is very possible for any of us to be using techniques and ideas which we have never "legally" obtained. To the extent we do so, these techniques and ideas are inclined toward the coercive.

How much time does it take to mention a teacher or a tradition to which we owe much of our present understanding or ability? Honoring the ones who have helped us is a basic requirement of creativity.

INSPIRATION

How about the tool called inspiration? Knowing how to "obtain legal title" to the inspiration which happens to us is the key to much in life. Just having an inclination that it is good to do so is an important beginning.

And that is where I will leave the matter of obtaining proper title for our inspirations for now. What I have said about how to "pay for" ideas and techniques might give a clue. Perhaps my hint that something so seemingly a part of us needs to be "legally" obtained will get a train or two of thought in motion. But more detail regarding inspiration will have to be brought up again in the next chapter.

To recap the first half of what makes up the difference between being creative and coercive, we must choose the right tools. We must choose tools which we can legitimately be using. Once that is part of our selection process, we have a chance of understanding the finer parts of how to use those tools correctly, which is what we will look at now.

THE MOST OVERLOOKED WORD

The first chapter of the book of Genesis in Jewish and Christian scripture is the summation of the profound wisdom of an amazing culture. In speaking of creation it makes extensive use of one particular word which alignes it with the works of deepest wisdom (written and oral) from various places and times.

Can you guess what the word is? It appears fourteen times in Genesis, chapter 1. Got it? Here's another clue; it has three letters. The word is "let".

This single, simple, profound word defines creativity; let. If I were to suggest one word to a dear friend as a key to happiness and success, it would be "let". If I were asked by a son or daughter for a word of advise to guide them in all situations, it would be "let".

The creative practical physicist lets the laws of physics work and uses a pole, a rock, gravity and inertia to move a log or boulder.

The creative artist lets the scene grow on canvas which has already appeared in her mind's eye.

The creative mechanic lets an engine function as designed, and lets his customer pay fairly for services rendered creatively.

Let's return to the presentation of the creative process in Genesis 1.

Whether one believes in "God" or not, all who wish to investigate creativity can imagine an example of ultimate creativity, and deal with Genesis 1 at that level. For our purposes, I urge us all to view it so now. Later, on your own time, you can deal with the idea of "God" as creator if you wish. But for now, we present the concept of Ultimate Creativity.

Wouldn't we think that the most powerful being in existence, in order to DO anything, would just say, "Do this!" or, "Be that!"? Yet, the creator of all that is, as envisioned by the writers of Genesis 1, created by saying, "Let there be..." It is curious only if one confuses power with coercion.

It is a fact that power at any level of intensity can be used either creatively or coercively. But it is also a fact that humans almost universally equate power and coercion. Most of us make this mistake, at least occasionally, because we are so accustomed to seeing power displayed around us as it is used to force something upon someone.

Such a use of force is the result of insecurity on the part of the powerful; insecurity or ignorance, or both. This insecurity and ignorance is the result of a limited view of the universe.

TWO WORLD VIEWS

If we limit our view to what is easily visible, everything seems to be at rest, moving only when acted upon and sustaining motion only when force is continuously or regularly applied. Let's call this world view A.

If we move either up or down from where we are in the range of existence, we get quite a different picture. The macro universe around us, planets, stars, etc., is in constant motion. Nothing, at that level, is ever at rest; in fact, probably cannot be totally motionless. Almost none of that motion isapparent from where we are, but most people these days are aware that on the macro universal level, such is the case.

Likewise, if we move to the micro universe which is all around us, motion is the normal state of existence. A "look" at even such solid things as metal or rock will disclose protons, neutrons and electrons in constant, dizzying motion. Once again, all of this motion is not apparent from where we are, but most are aware of it. Those who choose to form their basic assumptions about life including the macro and micro universe have what I will call world view B.

When it comes to choosing what our style of DOing will be, we either form our basic assumptions from the apparent reality around us, world view A, (things are at rest unless pushed), or from the less apparent reality just "above" and "below" us, world view B, (all is in motion, and simply needs direction).

The basic question of one who wants to do something from world view A is, "How do I get things moving?" From this beginning flows coercion.

The basic question of one who wants to do something from world view B is, "How can I best direct all this motion?" From this beginning MAY flow creativity...if...proper title has been attained for ALL the tools which will be used.

Remember, I have defined even such aspects as design and inspiration as tools. If we do something which is designed to in any way be in disharmony with its environment, the final effect of the most well-intentioned project will be coercive. So often, we spend all too little time considering the design of what we wish to do.

This is pretty much the whole package regarding the difference between creativity and coercion. But there is one important factor which may be overlooked, so I'll point it out.

People.

In our minds during this discussion, we have thought of people as the "doers" of our universe. We are; we always are. But we are appropriately tools as well.

All of us get some very important DOing done through using people as tools. If we are managers, this is obvious. But every time we deal with a human being to accomplish something, we use them as tools; service representatives, receptionists, supervisors, ...you get the picture.

People are very complex tools. Each human is always a doer, who may or may not have obtained clear title to the tools he or she is using. When we are choosing a human for a tool, we may have a sense of whether they are creative or coercive. Now we have some idea of why they are so.

And sometimes we don't have a choice. We have to work with a certain person. Our most important task in any event is to gain clear authorization to "use" this person. The most creative and wonderful human beings will produce junk if we are coercive in our use of them.

People are DOers, and people can be tools. Are people raw material? I have puposely decided not to address that question. Up to this point in this particular framework of thinking, only coersion could regard people as raw material. But when investigating silence, there may be an indication that in some ways people may be raw material in the creative process. But you will have to make your own judgement on that.

So now we will move on to the seventh discernment, keeping in mind that I have asked you to look there for a more complete treatment of the subject of inspiration, and how to deal with it.

Introduction, Ch. 1. What is Reality?, Ch. 2. Knowledge and belief., Ch. 3. What is being open- minded?, Ch. 4. Prudence and prejudice., Ch. 5. Simple and simplistic., Ch. 6. Creative and coercive., Ch. 7. Silence and absence

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