The Philosophy of Creation
Creation is a Window to the Divine
In The Beginning God Created The Heavens And The Earth.
This is the opening to the most popular book of all time. The Bible.
But what exactly is creation?
The act of bringing something into existence. Something that did not exist before.
But that raises a question, doesn’t it?
If it didn’t exist, where did it?
Plato argued there was another world of existence. This world had the perfect form of everything that could exist.
Take tables for example. There’s a perfect table in this other world. And the one in your kitchen is just a poor imitation of it. As is everything else that exists.
Imperfect imitations of the perfect form.
Every time you create something, you are imitating perfection. Getting closer to the perfect form.
Creation is a window to the divine.
This idea isn’t just backed up with old philosophy and Bible quotes. Groundbreaking scientific research supports this.
Here’s how.
What to Read
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Flow State
In the 1990s, Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi set out to understand being in the zone. How could certain artists and athletes dedicate so much of their life to their craft?
The answer was flow state.
This is when you get so immersed in what you’re doing that you lose touch with reality. No past. No present. Just the moment.
Humans are at their happiest in flow state.
As Csíkszentmihályi put it, flow is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” (Csíkszentmihályi, 1990, p.4)
To hit flow state, you need 3 things.
Clear goals
Immediate feedback
Balance between competence & difficulty
Every great product and service is the result of another person's flow state.
Inventions from the wheel to the cell phone. Media from Orwell’s 1984 to Breaking Bad. (Even this article 😁).
Flow state literally changes your brain waves.
It empowers you to push yourself beyond your own limits. To create a better imitation of the perfect form. Following in God’s footsteps when he created the universe.
The War of Art
The best theory of creation comes from Steven Pressfield. In The War of Art, Pressfield gives timeless advice on creating your best work.
He calls it the Muse. This is the otherworldly force that enlightens you. When you create, it’s not you creating. It’s the Muse creating through you.
The Muse is contrasted by Resistance.
Resistance is the force that stops you from doing your work. It comes in many forms. Most commonly procrastination.
Resistance is evil. It will kill your dreams. And ruin your life.
Do you know why the seven deadly sins are so deadly? They were distractions. Indulging them will stop the Muse from guiding you.
Pressfield describes other behaviors the Muse likes.
A blue-collar work ethic
Showing up every day
Being humble
This helps you go Pro.
Going Pro has nothing to do with making money. It has everything to do with showing up and doing the work. Especially when you don’t want to.
After all, that’s just Resistance. And there’s a simple way to beat Resistance every single time.
The mundane act of sitting down and working.
Spending Time with the Muse
You need to take this seriously. It’s through the Muse that you will create the most important work of your life.
You owe it to yourself. To create the best work you can. To push yourself and live up to your potential.
But more importantly, you owe it to mankind.
When you create, you are making a better imitation of the perfect form. Inching your work closer to true perfection.
From videos to scientific research papers. Building a better business model. Mastering a sport. It doesn’t matter what you do. It only matters that you go Pro.
This is what it means to live.
A Life Worth Living
Let’s put spirituality aside for the moment. flow state is one of the most important parts of living a fulfilled life.
The emptiness most people feel comes from a lack of creation.
In ancient times, flow state was key to your survival. It's how we hunted animals, built homes, and conquered the fucking world.
Today, our needs are provided for. We’ve domesticated ourselves. The caged bird may sing. But it’s slowly dying inside.
Here’s 3 practical tips to live your best life.
Find What You Love
The world of perfect forms is infinite. From stories to tell to businesses to build. But there’s little room for self-discovery in the Soviet slog of modern life.
Either way, you’re responsible for finding what you love.
And if you have no clue, I’ve got good news for you. The Internet will let you try just about anything.
You can read this article for a detailed explanation of finding work you love.
Going Pro
Doing your work isn’t hard. Not at all. But sitting down to work is the hard part.
After all, no one is forcing you. And it may never be your full-time job. That doesn’t matter. You don’t do it for money. Or status. Or whatever other bullshit reason.
You do your work for you.
That’s why it’s so important to pick a time every day and stick to it. Preferably in the morning. Even if it’s just an hour before your job.
Showing up every day is what separates the Pros from the amateurs.
Hit Flow State
When you show up, you’ve got one goal. To hit flow state. That’s it.
The rest takes care of itself. The words will come to you. The Muse will show you the way.
And it may not seem like much. But one hour a day will build a brilliant library of work. It may take months. Years, even.
But everything great takes time. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. But we’re still obsessed with the brilliant style & architecture thousands of years later.
The Muse can show you how to create work that lasts just as long.
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