I’ve often been asked how it all started, this journey that I find myself on. In the past I’ve gone through the long story as to how I got to be where I’m at, as it’s hard to give a short answer. This is not for lack of trying to find an abbreviated version, but rather it’s because every step of the way I’ve made very conscious decisions leading me in a direction. Recently I realised that the one single thing that has led me here is the pursuit of happiness.
One of the most powerful and flowing things that drives us along effortlessly is happiness.
Happiness is a sense of simplicity captured in the moment where everything feels as if it’s where it needs to be, in perfect, balanced harmony. The drive towards happiness comes in different forms to different people. It can come in the form of service to others, to accumulate wealth, to feel empowerment, or to leave a legacy, just to name a few.
It’s not what we do, but the driving factor for the decisions that we make that’s important. For us to find a sense of momentum, it can be invaluable to know what it is we are working towards. My own understanding of my own drive initially grew from identifying that I would rather feel wealthy in creativity that seek wealth in money, hence for many years my choices led me to projects that paid little, yet brought to me a richness of spirit. From there I felt drawn to helping people through music, and thus my projects became less about self-expression and more about music with a purpose.
I know many creative people, and their paths are often littered with challenges, and many find it difficult to identify why they do what they do. The creative mind is often difficult to focus and can be difficult to pin down, so understanding why we are compelled to do what we do can be hard enough project to project, let alone in the grand scheme of things. But regardless of our headspace, creative people share one very common thing…a need to fulfil.
We seek it out, and also hope it stumbles upon us.
We find it almost impossible to work without it, yet it is elusive, and it teases us with its hidden form. We call it our Muse or our inspiration. It can visit us without warning at the most inopportune times, and likewise can hide from us for months or even years, lurking in the shadows but never revealing itself. It’s difficult to explain it, but we all know it exists, and we often think of it as being outside of ourselves.
But what if our real Muse is within, and what if we could tease it out at will, turn it on or off, or at the very least be able to coax it out when we are ready to create a pleasing aspect of reality. Perhaps if we can understand our own happiness, and the things that drive us to be on the path we’re on, we can manifest the inspiration to do what we do. Maybe we have more power over our creativity than we think, if we can harness this simple way of knowing our drive.
It’s possible that this idea brings with it more questions than answers, but it may be worth considering if we wish to be more productive and more prolific in our work, and perhaps happier. The process of creativity can be intense and dark, but it can equally be uplifting and releasing. Perhaps if we can understand our own happiness we may in fact be better for it.