WE ARE ALL CREATIVE

Creative self-empowerment begins by recognizing creativity is the essence of our being. Some of us discover this later in life than others. But once we make this self-discovery, a wondrous door opens up ... life becomes full of new meaning, excitement and playful adventure.

If you don't think you're creative, you probably got that message early on and bought into it. To overcome this, don't get hung-up on the word or concept. Just think of yourself as a constructive person. What's important is that we get our energy flowing and fully participate in shaping the outcomes of life. This means finding a creative purpose ... paying attention to the subtle yearnings of our soul and getting to know what we truly want ... then doing something about it!

For me right now this means writing these letters ... sharing what I've learned (and am still learning) about the workings of Creative Soul.

I suspect I've been doing these explorations for more than one lifetime, for all my creative endeavors -- art, music, psychotherapy, and facilitating creativity and spiritual growth -- have come naturally to me. Each a blessing, adding more joy to my life.

And now I have an additional joy, the joy of channeling these Creative Consciousness messages directly to you.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

CREATIVE POWER OF SOUL

Creating is the key work of the Soul. It creates our reality -- what we shape, have and experience. At first, this view may seem unbelievable. But close observation bears it out.

For example: As a young man, I had thoughts of becoming a great artist. But no matter how hard I worked, I had no success. The truth was that at my soul-level of existence, I identified with struggling and unappreciated geniuses like Van Gogh. There was an heroic appeal to it. So that's what I got.

As long as I was unaware of this hidden self-vision, the art and life I created could not fulfill my conscious wishes. I was jealous, angry and mystified by other people's success. I wondered why they were so successful and I wasn't? I felt the world was ignorant and unfair, keeping me from success.

Years later, after studying with a Gurdjieff Master, I got more in touch with the truth of my soul and made a profound inner shift. My self-awareness and artistic vision dramatically changed. And within a few years, I was showing my work in major galleries, as well as at The Indianapolis Museum of Art, alongside the works of Andy Warhol and other major artists. What changed? I had consciously redirected the creative power of my soul. Once I made this inner shift -- harmonizing the deeper vision of Soul with my conscious wishes -- I gained the success I sought.

Perhaps you've had a similar experience and have your own 'Soul-Story' to tell. If so, e-mail it to me. I'd love to know it and share it with others.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

A SPECIAL CREATIVE FOCUS

To access higher creative power, connect with your Soul. This doesn't happen by thinking. It happens by Direct-Sensing -- directly connecting with your actual being, Body and Soul. As we focus this way, we access insights, creative impulses and fresh ideas -- a new level of awareness and consciousness is possible.

We can focus in this way amidst any activity and tune in to our greater creative consciousness. I call this kind of focusing Creative Focusing. While it's meditative in nature, it does not require sitting still and focusing on an arbitrary object.

At random moments, we all occasionally unintentionally focus in this way. When we have (to our own surprise and delight), we may have experienced a flash of insight or brilliance. However, most successful creative people -- artists, inventors and innovators -- make this shift on a regular and consistent basis as they work. And spiritually illuminated people make it constantly throughout most activities.

Most creative people might not recognize their higher creative states as having any spiritual significance. However, most do know that they experience feeling elated and more alive, sometimes even ecstatic as they work. Most do sense or know something very special or transcendent is happening. It's taken me the better part of sixty-six years to come to see creativity in spiritual terms, and so I call this special creative consciousness state -- Being At Soul. Artists will tell you they put their heart and soul into their work, I now believe that in a very real sense this is true.

At-Soul, life is a high, creative energy flow. Experience it for yourself!

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

CREATIVE INNER GUIDANCE

Creative Focusing is the means for shifting to a greater Self. At this level we're not only connected to our full creative potentials (the source of all we can be), we're able to have 'miraculous' guided experiences.

Six years ago, being Creatively Focused, I felt a sudden urge to take a walk. I wandered to a bench at 79th street and Broadway. Unexpectedly a thought came to me: "It's time to buy a co-op ... 92nd Street." Immediately I was inspired to go to a real-estate office and see what was available. What was offered didn't seem right. A week later at my country house, I got an intuitive flash that I should cut my weekend short, return home and check with doormen along Broadway. My wife and I did just that. When we got to a building on 92nd Street, we learned of two apartments. One was not right, the other was spoken for. I asked to see it anyway, and when I did, an internal 'voice' screamed "YES! THIS IS IT". I asked my agent to check with the owner even though it was taken. We found that the agent who had been handling the apartment had dropped out of sight leaving the sale unconfirmed. The owner immediately offered the apartment to me, and at just the limit we could afford. She could have easily asked for, and gotten, ten thousand more and priced me out, but she didn't. We bought and have never been happier.

Was this just random good fortune or a 'hidden hand' at work here? I can't say. But I do know from experience that when I creatively focus, a special guidance often occurs. By 'listening' to the subtle 'voice' of my 'Greater-Self', I'm guided to my best future. This process has helped me in many important ways throughout the years, including starting a Personal Growth Center, investing, and finding my lovely wife. However we choose to explain it, there's a deeper level of Self we can tune in to that more wisely guides us. It happens when we Creatively Focus. We get creative guidance At-Soul.

Goodness and Joy to all, Joseph.

CONNECTING DIRECTLY TO REALITY

To tap our full creative potentials, we need to open perception to a deeper level of being. The key to doing this is with Creative Focusing -- the shifting away from thinking to Direct-Sensing and connecting at Soul-level. While thinking symbolizes reality and shapes understanding, Direct-Sensing allows us to experience reality freshly and gain new understanding. Thinking is often a fixed 'closed door,' while Direct-Sensing is an opportunity to experience anew and to experience the new!

An immediate demonstration of this difference can be had by looking at adjacent walls of a painted white room and identify the colors of the two meeting walls. Most people say the obvious, that both are WHITE. However, upon close examination (and depending upon lighting and time of day), one might notice that the two walls have a different color. One may actually be a shade of gray, blue-gray or green-gray, while the other may be a yellowish or pinkish white. (It helps to recognize the difference in color if you close one eye and stare.)

As an art teacher and psychotherapist, it's often been demonstrated to me that we may not perceive what is actually there -- what we expect is what we think is what we see; perception is often preconception carried forward as misconception.

As we realize that much of the time this principle applies to all of us, we can better understand how many of life's conflicts and confusions are developed. However, when we practice Direct Sensing, we can open up perception and gain a new, more effective and creative interaction with reality.

Direct Sensing is the key.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

CHOOSING TO BE 'AT SOUL'

We may shift to the creative level of Soul at any moment. However, this can't be done by an effort of thinking. More so, we need to keep thinking from interfering. Thinking is a representation (often a misrepresentation) of what exists and how things work, and at best is a useful aid. But to actually experience, know and operate well in reality, we need to utilize Direct Sensing.

Through Direct Sensing we gain an immediate clear grasp of reality. To successfully throw a basketball through a hoop, we must sense the ball and the distance to the hoop. We must sense our body and the proper moment of release as we throw the ball. By sensing, we connect directly to what exists. By thinking we connect indirectly through ideas about what exists. Likewise, to connect with ourselves on our deepest Soul-level, we need to Sense, not think. This is the essence of Creative Focusing: shifting from thinking to Sensing long enough to make fresh direct contact with actual reality. Each time we do that, we gain a clearer and fuller awareness; then thinking may proceed on a more profound level then before.

If we have difficulty making this shift we may find the practice of meditation very helpful. That's the main purpose of all meditation techniques -- to help us develop the skills of Creative Focusing and connect with our deeper Soul-selves.

Once there, we experience a new transcendent level of being. We may feel a lightness ... a heightened awareness ... a joyful inner flow ... or a creative excitement like being in love with whatever or whomever is there ... or whatever we're doing. When we experience this level of self and 'know' how we got there, then it becomes a simple matter to enter a higher life, we just -- choose -- to be At Soul.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

SENSING YOUR WAY TO GOODNESS

Direct Sensing can lead to many gains. It's the main means for connecting At Soul and allows us to better perform simple daily tasks as well as complex creative ones.

As we directly sense on a physical level, we're more in tune with health and bodily needs. We know better what, how much and when to eat, and when to see a doctor or dentist. We also get more connected with our deeper selves.

For example: It's easy for me to get lost in the flow and creative excitement of writing, however, if I take a moment to sense my body, I may then move deeper into myself and become more connected on a feeling or intuitive level; I may gain an unexpected creative insight and discover what I really needed to say.

Through sensing the body, we can move toward being At Soul. Here's where my best writing takes place. Attuned on this level, words seem to magically appear. If I don't interfere by thinking about it and let it be as if I'm just taking dictation, I get into a spontaneous creative flow. I may experience the same thing at the piano. When I tune in on this level, I trust my spontaneous impulses and musical ideas come. It's the same when painting or when deciding what to eat or where to go or who to call. When I'm tuning into my deeper Soul-self, I seem to effortlessly shape new goodness.

The key is Creative Focusing; shifting to a deeper Soul-level of self and staying tuned-in there. Then life can become a beautiful creative adventure.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

HAVING GREATER ENJOYMENTS

We all know about higher enjoyments because we all experience them from time to time -- creative expression, loving connection, beauty, etc. The challenge I find, is learning how to increase the frequency of such exquisitely fulfilling moments until we have them often throughout each day.

All enjoyments are good, they affirm and give meaning to life. But I'm sure you've noticed, as I have, that with physical pleasure, we quickly reach a point of saturation beyond which there is a diminishing return. We can only eat or have sex so much until we find enjoyment turns to indifference, and if pushed too far, even to repulsion, distress or pain. The same applies to most possessions -- the longer we have them, the less enjoyment we may get from them, until finally we may actually dislike them. And if we acquire too many things, we may find they become a clutter and a burden.

However, higher Soul-enjoyments do not play out this way. When we're creating, loving, giving and playing (putting out our personal-goodness), the excitement and pleasure we feel is tremendously expansive, and we don't easily reach a saturation point. And what's more, we set a chain reaction in motion. Instead of our pleasure diminishing, it magnifies and multiplies. This is because higher enjoyments come from sending our goodness out into the world, and it eventually comes back to us.

At-Soul we're more powerfully loving, giving, playful and creative. Our ability to produce higher Soul enjoyments are at peak. At-Soul, the quality of life is transformed. To see for yourself, Creatively focus and shift to Soul-center often.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

HOW I UNDERSTAND GOD

I was skeptical about God. I couldn't understand how, if an all-powerful all-loving God did exist, he could create such a mess. I concluded that if I were God, I would've done a better job. Some ego, huh? Actually, it was more than ego, it was a total misunderstanding of God. But once I developed a new view of God, everything made perfect sense. Here's my present view.

God is a Supreme Creative Consciousness who created the universe to experience and create through us. But for this to be meaningful, God had to give us complete freedom of choice. So, just as one might give us canvas and paints and say, "Here, do what you will with this," God gives us abilities and a world in which to create and allows us to do as we please; be creative or destructive; work hard or be lazy; seek guidance or not. And whatever we choose, God doesn't judge, condemn or punish us. God's loving wish is only that we create for ourselves what brings greatest happiness.

If we like the results we're getting, fine! But if not, and we want some help, God is always at hand to inspire and guide us, 'speaking' to us at soul level. However, if we choose to find our way to happiness by trial-and-error on our own, that's o.k. too. God allows us to take whatever route we choose. There's no 'good' or 'bad' way, just what works for us or doesn't. While taking God's guidance may bring happiness faster, it doesn't matter to God if we choose a more difficult path, for everyone is assured of reaching the same place, ultimately.

When I understood God and life in this way, it then seemed God had created a 'perfect' world. Instead of a mess, God created an optimum condition of freedom and boundless opportunity to realize together God's goal.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

LIFE'S PURPOSE

The goal of evolution is to experience greater life. Now some may ask, "If so, how can this best be done?" I would say, first by expanding our sense of life. Second by expanding our enjoyment of it. And this can be different for each person.

If our sense of life is purely materialistic, then we'll primarily pursue food, sex and possessions, and drive to accumulate wealth and social position to guarantee material pleasures. However, if our sense of life is expanded to include metaphysical spiritual-reality, then we may proceed to experience greater life by seeking more pleasures of the Soul. Our drive will shift more toward expanding spiritual wisdom and creativity to guarantee more pleasures of the Soul.

In each case the purpose of life remains the same: to experience greater life. But what form our greater life takes depends on which track we pursue -- the narrow track of material success or the broader track including many deep pleasures of the Soul. We all really 'know' this, but immersed in our commercial culture which communicates success to be unlimited sex, power and possessions, it's easy to 'forget' and get sidetracked.

Living in a sea of commercial influences, we may readily lose connection with Soul and come to think that by choosing the spiritual track we'll loose out on material benefits. The irony is that the opposite is true. On the spiritual track, we invest in expanding our potential for enjoying a greater life experience, raising material pleasures to a higher level, and adding higher pleasures. The spiritual track brings greater success and fulfills life's purpose better. It's ultimately more rewarding!

By spiritual track I don't mean following a religion. Whether we do or not is irrelevant. What makes us truly spiritual, creative and fulfills us, is being At-Soul.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

DIVINE-ZONE LIVING

There's a higher level of living, an elevated way of participating in and experiencing life. I call it 'Divine Zone Living'. It comes as a result of being more creatively and spiritually attuned. At this level of Self we're more receptive, appreciative, intuitive, expressive and empathetic; more creatively and spiritually alive!

Unfortunately, most of us only get an occasional taste of Divine Zone Living. But there are many people who are fortunate enough to experience this level of living on a regular basis. And there are also many others, although much fewer, who reach it minutes or hours each day. Much rarer are those who sustain this level most of each day; I would imagine that great spiritual and creative masters do a lot of Divine Zone Living.

Once we realize that a much higher 'Divine Zone' level of living is possible we may want to move rapidly in this direction. To actually do so usually requires the generation of higher energy. Without higher energy, we may remain stuck and unable to break free from limiting and down-dragging habits and circumstance.

At root, everything -- health, wealth and happiness -- is a matter of energy. As we increase the quantity and quality of our energy, a greater life can be had.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

HIGH ENERGY LIVING

A great life operates on high energy. To get there, we need to make a leap well beyond our usual energy levels.

If our physical energy system is running low (like a flame ready to go out), then an attempt to shift into our Divine Zone (a higher consciousness state) won't produce more than a flicker. But if we have a good physical energy base, then a shift to our Divine Zone can be like becoming a blazing fire -- we can be much more powerfully and creatively alive.

In an unpublished book I wrote eight years ago, I presented a self-energizing program and made the point that most people operate at about twenty percent or less of their energy potential. With excellent health habits we may double that, and by using a few energizing techniques we might even reach fifty percent. But to go beyond this level, we need to tap into our higher 'spiritual' energy center.

We probably can all recall a time when we felt tired; and then suddenly, as if by magic, we found bounds of new energy. Some great inspiration plugged us into high energy. Instead of dull and empty, we quickly became highly alive and at our best. If we could do this at will, daily, we'd have unlimited high energy.

This is what many highly successful people manage to do. But for most of us it seems out of reach. Energy blocks and negative behavioral patterns may bog us down. While various therapies, inspiring people and energizing techniques can help propel us forward, the key choice -- to intentionally shift to a higher and better experience of life -- is always ours to make. And we need to make it at each moment, again and again.

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.

KNOW YOUR CREATIVE SOUL

Human evolution is the main purpose of soul; to lead us toward fulfilling our higher creative potentials; the creation and discovery of higher quality experiences.

Yet the guidance and direction of soul may be felt only at rare moments and often overlooked or ignored. Occasionally we may take a moment from our constant busyness and feel a disappointing emptiness and dissatisfaction with our normal life activities and yearn for a higher experience of life. In such rare moments, which may come upon us in the deep stillness of night, we may make deep contact with our Soul.

For many this can produce a painful recognition of a 'wasting' of life on trivial and meaningless living; a feeling of helplessness, futility or remorse may occur. However, such moments can also be crucial turning points when a brighter path forward suddenly becomes clear. We may feel a new strong call to higher action.

By recognizing our soul's calling and by following its prompting, we may open up to our higher creative possibilities -- forgiveness, greater appreciation or loving, a flash of creative inspiration or insight. At such moments we experience an 'awakening,' a great creative excitement and desire to do something more meaningful with our lives. We're AT SOUL!

Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.