Memory and Creativity

In learning something complex--like language, a particular art form, a type of business or career position, etc.--we collect and organize a lot of pieces of information over a long period of time. Having learned quite a lot, we become increasingly able to to pay attenion to the present moment with some of our attention while drawing on that relevant history with some of our attention. Usually the history part is/feels less conscious. Eventually, as we feel competent with some particular arena, we have creative moments of flow where we spend very little attention on long-term memory functions because they are well-integrated with our intention and actions in the present moment. But this whole process usually takes a good deal of time, which is part of why top level physicists usually aren't ballerinas and decathlon athletes as well.

So most of us work towards competence in some field of endeavor, and then possibly into creativity and flow. There are certain prodigies in any field who need less time to process well in the present moment, but for most of us at most complex things, it takes time to learn, practice, and increase familiarity before we gain a sense of competent or expert ease. It seems that there are relatively universal processes of memory, integration, and application that take at least up to 6-7 years.

People like Leonardo Da Vinci who are interested in developing expertise in more than one field usually have a convincing sense of discipline in doing things such as (with Leonardo) using both hands for equal manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination. For those of us less practiced at expertise in multiple fields, we are less likely to become familiar and flexible with developing and pplying expertise across various domains. In other words, some folks--besides developing expertise in, say, painting--also recognize that they are simultaneously practicing expertise itself.

Meditation, then, functions in a few different ways as far as clearing cobwebs from one's brain. In the same way that someone expert across many fields (like Da Vinci) becomes familiar with expertise itself (as opposed to expertise/famliarity/flow in a particular field), meditation can function as familiarity with openness or acceptance (eventually) regardless of one's external situation. As one trains in allowing openness into one's conscious mind, we build a history of conscious openness, peace, equanimity, concentration, etc. Over time, not only do we develop equanimity while seated in meditation, but we also identify our experience and self as connected to, allied with, or part of equanimity. We might look to develop a sense of self as a profound or open self at the same time (in the course of years here) that we try to align our actions with that same developing sense.

Now, because of how our brains develop, meditation can take on stage-specific functions as well as this more consistent function of aligning oneself with openness, acceptance, profundity, and spontaneity. In late adolescence to early adulthood, our prefrntal brains hit a growth spurt. This area of the brain is connected with "executive functioning"--basically wisdom and a much-improved (potential) ability to direct one's attention AS ONE CHOOSES. Mindfulness practice is particularly relevant for learning to direct one's attention. Mindfulness practice is one of the building blocks of consistent, creative flow across domains. This practice is directly supportive of being able to consistently practice fundamentals--like dribbling a basketball, changing diapers, etc. (think of the drudgery involved in your line of work)--and, at nearly any time chosen, to shift one's attention to qualities of awareness such as acceptance (of drudgery, intensity, enjoyment, etc.). Without the willingness to practice fundamentals and a certain degree of competence in concentration, we do not develop or embrace the building blocks of expertise. If one is not born with this sort of concentration or drive, t can be developed along with mindfulness.

Consistent inspiration is more likely to develop when one is able to direct one's attention based on intention rather than force. Mindfulness practice is the fundamental practice for doing this, and our brains are prepared for this in late adolescence/early adulthood in the same way that they are prepared for abstract functioning sometime in early adolescence. The flexibility that mindfulness and inspiration allow is different from the wisdom that experience and profundity and expertise allow. Although they tend to be correlated, these different conceptual categories emphasize different states of brain functioning.

When one is ideologically willing to direct one's attention in accord with one's situation (which usually occurs in time with the recognition/experience/wisdom that such willingness is valuable), rather than pushing for what one wants primarily based on survival instincts, status motivations, or reactive emotionality, one is prepared for embracing mindfulness practice. When one practices mindfully, one is preparing the ground for consistent inspiration. Consistent inspiration is similar to becoming expert in multiple fields. When this occurs, one consistently feels as if one is drawing curiosity and energy and benefit from nearly whatever situation one finds oneself in.

Chogyam Trungpa said that spirituality is a process of wearing out all expectation. As one becomes expert in curious spontaneity, a personal sense of happiness, authenticity, meaning, and connection is no longer stuck to one's expectations or psychological securities. If we do not think of ourselves as global citizens, if we practice neither intentional global citizenship nor balanced openness, we will be much less likely to develop a sense of inspiration concerning global humanity and ourselves as part of it. If we develop a sense of global citizenry over the course of many years, and if we pair a sense of mindfulness and openness with global citizenry, then like Da Vinci we will be much more likely to creatively and functionally engage our phenomenal human potential. If we rush to be better than we are, we will simply stress out before completing the process. If we ignore the process for fear of failure, it will not happen.

As is, mindfulness is the foundation for consistent inspiration concerning one's own and our common human potential. It is also, by whatever name, the practice for bringing that inspiration or potential into everyday lived reality. We learn to simultaneously rely on experience, the situation we find ourselves in, equanimity, inspiration, curiosity, and openness.