Creativity in Times of Fertile Confusion

Jeffrey Davis (Phot: Hilary Harvey)

Every once in a while, in midst of all the noise in the blogging world, I come across someone whose work really resonates with me, and that I want to share with you. One of my recent discoveries is Jeffrey Davis — a wise teacher who helps people foster, expand and reignite their creativity. He focuses on the role of wonder in creativity, incorporates yoga as a tool for creativity, and embraces the role of confusion and uncertainty as — get this – allies to creativity in our work and our lives.
 
I wanted to know more about all that, and to share his work with you. I also want to continue to provide you with the best resources for getting creativity your back and working with the “I don’t knows” and areas of confusion in your life.
 
On February 23rd at 6pm PST, Jeffrey will be joining me for a free call about “Being Creative in Times of Fertile Confusion.” I hope you’ll join us live, or sign up to receive the recording.
 
Jeffrey writes:
 
I work and talk with a lot of creative people — writers, designers, entrepreneurs, people of all backgrounds curious about their life’s next flight pattern. And a lot of them are in what I call “fertile confusion.”
 
They’re confused about their professional and personal identity. Their best self’s calling & potential. Where their creative project is taking them and whether or not they’ll fail. What’s next. Whether to move forward or to wait for the universe to speak.
 
They either despise uncertainty, love it just a bit too much, or find the optimal relationship with it to flourish.
 
I want to talk about that latter group. They’re the ones who know that uncertainty can actually help us be more creative.”
 
When I read that, I thought, wow — I (and most people I know) are in groups #1 and #2 — we both struggle with uncertainty and and get cozy stalling in it. Option #3 — using uncertainty to become more creative, the idea that confusion could actually be a gift? I want to know more.
 
In our conversation, we’ll explore –
 
When you’re confused, how do you keep from running to the easiest option or reverting back to the familiar?
How do you work and play with uncertainty as part of crafting your creative life?
How can you be less reactive and more creative during times of fertile confusion?

You’ll learn:
* How to create Fertile Confusion: how to make uncertainty “fertile.”
* How to shift into the Optimal Mind: how to draw upon optimal emotions as a way to stay open to possibilities and to persevere during difficult times.
* How to mobilize The Body Electric: how to act, even when you don’t know the outcome. How to move the body to move the mind.
* How to use The Pause Button: how to appreciate the space between action. How to be idle and blessed. How to cultivate creative stillness, even if it’s fleeting.
 
Jeffrey has walked this walk. 12 years ago, he left a comfortable and prestigious position as a professor at a major university to pursue fleeting ideas related to creative writing and yoga.
 
Since that time, he’s worked with fertile confusion to develop three businesses, written the book The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writing (Penguin, 2004; revised & updated ed., Monkfish, 2008), and taught workshops around the world — at venues such as Omega Institute, Kripalu Center, The Taos Writer’s Conference, and many others. He writes the Tracking Wonder blog for Psychology Today and is Fiction Editor for Tiferet: A Journal of Spiritual Literature.
 
As you can imagine, this conversation will be fruitful for artists and creative types dealing with uncertainty in their work, people who want to recover their creativity, and anyone dealing with confusion about some aspect of their lives — and wanting to learn to use that confusion productively.

 
Join us February 23rd, 6-7:15pm PST. SIGN UP HERE to participate or receive the recording after the call.
 
Love,
 
Tara