The Ecstasy of Transformational Creation
by Carolyn Campbell
I had an amazing session with a client the other day. After 30 minutes of exploring words to celebrate who she really is, we collaboratively wrote a personal mission statement by stringing together key “phrases” from our conversation. After she read it aloud there was a silence. I asked her what she was thinking. In a near whisper she said, “I should have been able to do this alone, shouldn’t I?”
Do you want to? I asked. No, she said… I just figured I was supposed to.
As partners in creating, whether in a professional relationship, an artistic endeavor or a loving partnership, each of us brings our wisdom and skills to the process. These powerful collaborations enable us to create something greater and more meaningful than any of us can do on our own. There is no leader and no follower; we are guided by our mutual belief in the vision and commitment to creation, regardless who initiated the idea.
Somehow the beauty, wonder and ecstasy of this co-creative process eludes many of us. I think there are a number of myths that stop us from truly co-creating. The most common of these is that we should do it alone; there is something wrong with us if we can’t. The belief “I must do it alone” is so damaging that I find it is the primary reason most ideas never come to fruition. They are killed before they have a chance to take root.
For an idea to become reality in the world, it needs collaboration. It is nearly impossible to transform a vision into action without someone there to gently lift the curtain of doubt and uncertainty, inviting the deeper vision to come forward. Having a partner who is equally invested challenges, enriches and expands the structure and reach of the vision.
As I started looking around at models of “action”, I realized there are very few models in the world that expose people to truly operating from a co-creative construct. Most are based in cooperation and compromise. Our divine spirit of creation will not invest in either. The two models that do come to mind are theater and really good sex. Both require a letting go of “control”. Both need the absolute coupling of passion, invitation and delight in the unfolding. They each entice us to reach into the unknown to discover something anew. Both are infused with the sacred artistry that brings us beyond the everyday “accomplishment” mode into a spiritual and, sometimes, transformational ecstasy.
Imagine what we could really create together if we invited the ecstasy of transformational creation into our every-day world. How would the dynamic of relationships change and the willingness to couple for vision sake be enhanced?
We must then ask what is required of us to move an idea into active form. The first step is to have an inspired dream. To invest time, vulnerability and energy, we must be compelled to do it. Simply having a dream is not enough. Second, we must “let go” of control so the vision can form in its own way. And that requires a readiness to heed the call and to become the executer of the vision. I call this invested nonattachment. This is where a joyful commitment to an unfolding relationship of candid honesty and compassionate clarity is key. Oh my, how many of us struggle with that every day! To act in absolute service of our deepest passion is courageous indeed.
Often we assume that we are in a co-creative relationship. Yet, I believe a contract between “players” is vital to success. What is our contribution? What is our commitment to stepping beyond what is and create what is yet to be?
It all begins with an honest, direct conversation. To step beyond requires being ready to break the rules that get in the way of truly serving the vision. Each person must stay accountable to their fears; each must feel them, name them and even be frightened by them. We must do whatever it takes to not let fears swamp the boat. And, when they do, remember it’s a part of the journey.
Whether co-creating with another or in union with universal vision, we are called to a sense of purpose far greater than our own mind can create. It is the truest form of theater on the stage called life. Co-creating invites the fullest passions of the human spirit to couple in new and unexpected ways. Out of this committed union grows a new way of seeing, a richer way of living and a more exciting way of engaging. Who wants to do that alone?
Carolyn Campbell is a certified VisionCoach (TM) and Business identity consultant living in Portland, Oregon. She specialized in creative and innovative ways to soulfully and strategically bring vision to life.