We all know that something keeps our heart pumping, blood flowing, lungs breathing, etc. all without conscious intent. This has been dubbed the subconscious. This mysterious, yet ever reliable, subconscious also houses the fullest potential of the psyche. When we can tap this inner realm, raise the subconscious intent to conscious awareness, we get in touch with and utilize our inner creativity.

There are many ways to reach this inner creative potential. First we need to put the ego to rest temporarily. The chattering personality needs to be set aside for a time so that the fullness of the entire psyche can see the light of mind. Creative insight always feels like a momentary gap has been opened and a burst of light has surfaced. Intuitive thought is a sudden complete understanding that issues forth, as if out of the blue. The veil of presumption and doubt is lifted. Creative psyche opens up and releases the gem of wisdom we were waiting for.

A few good methods of enhancing this mindful gap to access inner creativity are meditation, self-awareness, soft focus and a light-hearted attitude. A word on each method:

• Meditation: There are many forms of meditation and they don’t all involve sitting alone in some quiet place. Though this is helpful if you can accomplish it, you can also learn to meditate in the midst of a crowded shopping mall. Fruitful meditation is closing the eyes, still the chattering mind, and focus on one specific thought, sound (via mantra) or enter complete stillness in the Void. If meditation appeals to you there are many varied methods, you can seek out which works best for you.
• Meditation puts your brain into an alpha or, when you become proficient a waking theta state. In this altered state the gap will open and creative mind emerge. Meditation is also recommended by a prominent hospital in Boston for recovering cancer and heart disease patients. It has been scientifically shown to calm the body, reduce blood pressure and enhance the immune system. The benefits of daily meditation are becoming more accepted by the medical and scientific communities. Enhanced inner creativity is an additional by product.

• Self-Awareness: The practice of self-awareness runs through all the great religious and philosophical disciplines. Buddhism, Zen, Sufi Mystics, Christian Mystics, Hindu Yogis, and Taoists practice the art of mindful self-awareness. This is a non-judgmental form of watching one's daily actions and thoughts in the present moment in a detached frame of mind. When learned and applied, this can create the necessary gap between the ego and the Self and great clarity of mind unfolds.

• Soft-Focus: This is an excellent way to stop the thinking process in an immediate and busy environment. Just allow the eyes to maintain a soft focus on a neutral surface and be aware of everything around you without focusing on any one thing. You will notice immediately that your peripheral vision is increased and your sensitivity to your entire environment is enhanced, while your mind is calmed. This is the focus of martial artists, dancers and well-trained athletes. When you create a soft-focus the ego is temporarily set aside and the subconscious mind where inner creativity abounds can come to the surface.

• Light-Heartedness: This is an excellent frame of mind to keep the personality ego from getting a rigid hold on the psyche and stifling creative thought. When we see the humor in everything, we perceive the intuitive and original moments that otherwise go unnoticed when we act from habitual behavior patterns. Humor embellishes the absurd and unusual, and this is where creativity springs from.

If any one of these methods is practiced daily they too can become creative behavior patterns. When a fluidity of mind, expressing from the present moment with calm clarity becomes a habit, creative mind is always available. In this way the experience of inner creativity will become a living presence in your life

Ego detachment is the perfect attitude for creating a gap in your present personality programming. We all have behavioral programs that we have accepted through social, parental, genetic and educational conditioning. These seem necessary for mutual coordination and cooperation in society. Yet, the need to be perpetually conditioned is what keeps us from being spontaneously creative. This is why children are more creative, they haven't accepted or been molded by a lot of conditioning yet.

When you enter this creative gap certain things will immediately happen. Paradoxes will become resolved. Clarity will be pervasive. Duality will cease and a 360 degree focus of comprehension will suddenly pervade the mind. From personal experience I can truly say that once the gap is entered, whatever you want to know is there for the taking.

The difficult part is unlearning the conditioning you have accepted all your life. For each individual this will be different. There is no set of conditions that you must give up, just the acceptance of a conditioned response to everything you do. Allow yourself to engender the wonder of a child. Challenge habitual responses. Be completely present. Allow yourself to become detached from what you've always assumed was "real" and see what happens. This is almost too simple for those who enjoy complexity and intellectual stimulation. That intellectual mindset is itself a conditioned response to life.

Most approaches to creativity are to look outside of ourselves for something that is novel or stimulating. Novelty is not necessarily creative. Stimulation doesn’t resolve problems. Truly creative people can stop at any moment, view what they are doing and see a sincerely original and resolute answer to whatever question they ask. This is because they don’t live for other people’s opinions, nor do they have to look outside of themselves for answers to difficult questions. They know instinctively that within themselves, hidden within the creative mind, that momentary pause of detached reflection, the answer lies waiting to be discovered.

Creative mind is always present in that interval or gap between a conditioned ego response and a spontaneous self-aware intuitive moment. It can be learned. It has always been within you it just grows dimmer as we get used to not allowing it as we did when we were children. Dive into the gap head first, allow your heart to follow. When you emerge your whole psyche will be cleansed and clarified and a bit of spontaneous joy will leave its mark on your mind. Inner creativity is only a moment away.