Responding Creatively to Life

It strikes me that from a state of relaxed awareness to life, I often experience intense moments of insight into whatever has been happening for me in the recent days. 

Or another way to say this:

There is a shift from action (expression) to relaxation (contemplation) and then to insight (illumination and inspiration)... And then the cycle continues around like a wheel. The circle could start anywhere, but all are equally important in the learning process.

For example: I conducted a workshop over the weekend, and as usual learned so much from the folks I was working with. Being near people as they go from tense to relaxed, from being 'good students' to empowered individuals in their own space, sometimes in just a couple of minutes, is an amazing opportunity to see process at work. 

After the students relaxed, and were introduced to this idea (inspiration) that the space was theirs to move freely in, there was this beautiful improvisation (expression) that took place. 

My process was the same: the workshop was action, and I've since rested and thought about the workshop and what I learned from teaching it. And what did I learn? I learnt that RELAXATION, INSPIRATION and ACTION are all fundamentals in learning...My action or expression, as a product of rest, is this blog post!

In deep states of flow, the three elements exist very close together in time, almost too close to tell the difference. This is whats known as channeling creative energy...

This is how we can respond creatively to life: By giving time for all of the elements of the creative process...for what are we responding to if we have not first paid attention?