The driver of creation

With the ongoing renovation, every day there are large amounts disappearing from our accounts and it is hard to not think about how much easier it would all be with a "bit of a price bump" in something I hold. Thankfully, that even though I am on 60% of my income due to being furloughed, we are spending a fair bit less in other areas as we aren't doing much extra, so it makes up most of the shortfall. But, the fantasy of "easier finances" is pervading the thoughts and I am quite sure that I am not the only one in the world.

But, as @fknmayhem correctly pointed out a couple weeks ago, I am one of those people who enjoy the challenge of working under pressure of some kind and it is where I probably am the most effective and creative. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and at least for me, when I am in need I look to find new ways of handling whatever situation may arise. I think that when there is nothing pushing at my back, I tend to procrastinate and get lazy.

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I know quite a lot of people who are similar to me in this regard and while they speak about being busy and trying to avoid stress, they actually relish it as they like the feeling of performing well.

Don't we all like that feeling?

I think so, but I wonder how many of us really know what conditions we require to be able to perform at our personal best. The flow state is generally brought on when skill has to stretch slightly to meet a challenge, where it has to work more on the edge and the outcome is uncertain. If the challenge is too hard it destroys motivation, if it is too easy, boredom sets in. I think that we have all experienced this ion both sides of the equation in some way, shape or form in life.

When we don't know what drives our best, it is difficult to "engineer" the conditions to suit us and instead, we begin to work on our defaults, pushed and pulled by an environment where we might feel out of place. "Know your place" is often used in a negative fashion, that talks about personal station, but I prefer to interpret it as an understanding of the environment itself. When I am "out of place" it doesn't necessarily mean I am incapable, it just means that I am "out of line", which is another expression that is used to say someone is doing wrong in respect to an authority.

While I don't like the concept of social authority that much, the environment we are operating in is always an authority that should affect the way we are behaving, if we are paying attention. "out of line" means, out of alignment, where behaviors are not suited to conditions. If my actions are misaligned with conditions, there are going to be conflicts, like gears of the wrong size and timing grinding together. There is not necessarily anything wrong with the gears themselves, they are just not suited to each other at this time.

I have thought quite a lot about how I am aligned in the world and have often thought "it is not my time", something most of us have heard in some way also. Many might even feel that they were born into the wrong time, where their preferences, skills and behaviors might be better suited for another era, another set of environmental conditions. However, since we do not have the technical capabilities to travel through time, it is probably best to do what we can with what we've got and attempt to align ourselves to perform at our best with the dictating conditions.

While we can affect and influence some of the conditions, there are often so many factors in play that are hard (or impossible) to change, that we are probably better off being the change ourselves, setting our own parameters and behaviors to suit the environment. We as humans are far more capable of changing our behaviors than probably any other animal on earth, as the ability to design our own changes is hardwired into us. We are creative through the mechanisms of our brain and are able to design and learn complex lessons that engage all parts of our body, as well as manipulate our environment to make tools and apply them in highly dynamic ways. It is quite a gift.

Though, I do think that less of us are using our powers as much as we could, as we have been lured into a process of passivity, rather than creativity. While I am not religious in any way, there is the "built in the image of god" line and the story we tell is of god being a creative force, not a passive one. I think that these stories are just that, stories, but that doesn't mean there isn't truth in some of them, just as some of the most incisive truths of life, death and our place in the world, can be discovered through the words of Shakespeare.

It is this process of creation that I find such a compelling force in life and I feel that the way much of society has engineered itself has been to remove the creative process and replace it with consumption - instead of making, we purchase. But,this purchase of an item, no matter how great it is or how much we might want it, could feel empty because we didn't do it ourselves, we didn't earn it, we didn't have to necessarily perform at our best to have it.

Performing well not only delivers a good feeling, it also brings in the desire to feel it again and based on the conditions of flow, that means having to stretch to meet a challenge. And since the practice has grown the skill, the next challenge has to be greater and therefore, the skill will grow again. I see the creativity required in necessity, a compulsory component of our evolutionary process and while most at any given time will not try, let alone find the solution to the challenge, some will.

I wonder at times how we as a species have evolved and how little influence most individuals had and how much some had over the direction. We all make an impact on the world in some way, but it is probably the most creative that guide the masses - and everyone else follows. But it doesn't matter whether we as individuals are the "game changers" or not, we can all benefit from the act of creation as it improves the way we feel about ourselves and likely, how we interact with and feel about others. It makes me think what the differences might be between how creatives and non-creatives treat others. I will have to keep an eye out.

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]

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Copying has become the norm of our lives nowadays, and if you get to create your own version of life, you are definitely one of the rare ones in this planet. <3

Copying can be useful in the learning phase, but if it continues, one is always waiting for someone else to produce, before the next copy can be made. We can't control everything, but we can control something.

True! We can always have that little creating power flame alive, while enjoying other's creations.

Finding those points of creation possibility is a little addictive ;)

In regard to what you said about being reminded that you enjoying the challenge and performing better under pressure thrive in more creativity and result I am reminded of a truth that has always stuck with me. In order for us to grow... we have to move past our comfort zones and experience the growing pains of expanding and stepping out into the unknown. I find that to be true in my experience anyway. It can be quite uncomfortable moving the boundaries of what we have grown to find as our comfort zone. I think you would more than likely agree that comfort will lead a majority into a state of apathy. Necessity is the mother of invention and sometimes being creative in figuring out how to achieve or thrive in adverse conditions can fuel passion, for better and for worse. Thank you for always offering thought-provoking contributions to this community. I am sorry i haven't been as connected or consistent in my place here. I appreciate your model of example and consistency in creativity enduring the challenges that you have. So glad to be back and see the opportunity here that was lost and forgotten over "there." It has become a Steem-ing pile. Plus Hive will much easier to work with as far as art is concerned. Have a good one!

I think you would more than likely agree that comfort will lead a majority into a state of apathy.

For sure and I think that where we seek comfort now is in consumption - depressed people often eat a lot of food, now they eat a lot of entertainment.

Glad to see you around here now and hopefully things are going well on your end.

Thanks brother! Things are going well. I wrote about it a little in my first Hive post. I am waiting for immigration in Sweden to get my residence permit in order... so for now i am back in Texas. It's been an interesting time and I am sorry i didn't communicate with you better when my activity started to decline for delegation reasons. I feel like i let you and the community down... but lessons were learned! I was very active playing Steem Monsters though... but that doesn't count in my book. Glad to see they and all the good ones have come on over to Hive. I laughed when you answered about the Sun comment. Great to be back and thanks for the love. Glad to see your family is doing well. I know it's been tough but the Small Steps aren't as small as they once were! Take care. And just for old time's sake....
Good Guy Taraz hive.jpg

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I tend to procrastinate and get lazy

Meanwhile this is my defence mechanism against meltdowns when there's too much stress xD

we are probably better off being the change ourselves

I find this a lot easier than some of the other stuff I've tried over time.

Meanwhile this is my defence mechanism against meltdowns when there's too much stress xD

I think for many, but for me at least, once I stop, getting started again is a challenge - better not to slow too much, just in case :D

I find this a lot easier than some of the other stuff I've tried over time.

Whips and chains?

I think getting started again is a challenge for most people, especially if it's something you don't want to do XD if it's a thing you really enjoy doing though starting again may be slow to begin with but you won't have any trouble at least starting, might perhaps grumble at being a bit rusty? XD

Never tried a proper whip. I mean...no never what do you think I am >_>

might perhaps grumble at being a bit rusty?

My body for the first weeks of running each summer :D

I mean...no never what do you think I am

Well...

I was reading the other day and I loved a quote from the book saying A leader is a dreamer. Fits extremely well with what you said about the most creative individuals being the ones who get people to follow. Creativity is a prerequisite for success. Drive and ambition are also necessary. And you can never get too comfy. A bit of fire under our ass always keeps us on the edge. Even if we have to create that feeling, we better have it. When we settle in comfort zone then all the procrastination starts. Never be too comfortable... That is what I think.

Never be too comfortable...

It isn't too hard in this life, but sometimes I think that we are too good at getting comfortable, so we get comfortable in constantly degrading conditions - which is how social media has gone from connecting people to being an engine of control and oppression - and we accept it.

I think social media has gone into whatever has gone as a result of people using it in the first place. It might be a reflection of the users. Is it the platform to blame or the users?

I'd say both since it is a co-creation process. Sort of like how nazi Germany came go be: Hitler talks, and upon seeing a positive reaction he puts more gas into the fire, reflecting back what the crowd wanted in an ever strengthening feedback loop. Hitler was like the mirror of the collective unconscious.
I guess now the mirror is reflecting back our desire to give up control over our lives for the sake of convenience and entertainment.

and upon seeing a positive reaction he puts more gas into the fire, reflecting back what the crowd wanted in an ever strengthening feedback loop.

Yes. Hitler wouldn't have been possible without the demand for his views. We can blame him, but that isn't the case at all - in another set of social conditions, that same group that followed him, would have rejected him instead.

I guess now the mirror is reflecting back our desire to give up control over our lives for the sake of convenience and entertainment.

This is why there has to be pushback - we are repeating history.

I agree that the platform reflects the users' behaviour. So until people do not change their consuming habits regarding social media, entertainment, the platform will remain at the same level as their consumers. Demand more and you will receive more. Demand quality and you will receive that. Demand crap and you'll get that too. The same works with violence. Those who instigate towards violence end up being caught in the violence they once asked upon. The laws of Universe are.... universal

users of course, it is a buying decision. Supply follows demand and a company is driven by making profits, not from the good it can do. They leverage the decisions we make to increase their values, not ours - it is up to us to change what we demand.

So until the users don't change, the platform will be what it will be.

All platforms, all companies, all governments.

This post furthet goesto buttress Aristotle's saying ,
man know thyself.

Great post.. i also do well under tension. I am a crash reader and it has never failed me.

I wonder how many have an intentional process to know themselves

Or have the courage to apply the knowledge of themselves?
It actually takes a lot of discipline

Working under pressure has been the story of my life, i will accomplish the most in the times wher the pressure is the highest. It did get me into trouble and with the building of our home we got a bit of trouble due to my lack of time. And i see that in our daughter she is excactly the same, i told her that would get her into trouble some time.

Quote : We all make an impact on the world in some way,
well i hope so

Recognizing our own limitations gives us the opportunity to adjust for them, seeing them in another however, all we can do is hope they learn from experience.

I find the flow state very pleasurable. I worked in professional kitchens, which many would find highly unpleasant. But after hours of heavy labor, we had a couple racks full of food ready to make others happy. The sense of pride both during and after a shift was profound. Nice essay.

It is nice to focus on a task and then see the result of it afterward - immediate feedback. I like the flow state, which is why I probably write so much and so often :)

Do you still work with food?

I'm retired after more than 30 years in the biz, 26 as owner of food businesses. Once upon a time there was nothing I would rather be doing. Now, cooking and especially baking are the last things I want to do. But of course, I do. And I suck at them both. The thrill, the passion, is gone. No flow, none.

Now I get into the flow for freewrites.

Do you find it strange that the passion can change so drastically?

Freewriting is something that should be encouraged when young, as it is a great way to process. Perhaps if more of us did it, less of us would suffer so much.

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Many might even feel that they were born into the wrong time, where their preferences, skills and behaviors might be better suited for another era, another set of environmental conditions

I've always felt I was adopted from somewhere outside our solar System... I await the day I'll be proved right...lol

What if you found out you were and then was forced to go home? :D

Don't need to be forced, I won't mind a vacation from Earth...long as I get to return soon enough

Unfortunately, Corona travel restrictions .... :D

Looool touche

@tipu curate