In 1948, James Michener won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Tales of the South Pacific. Throughout his life he authored more than 40 novels and earned more than one hundred million dollars. At age 88, Michener wrote, “When young people in my writing classes ask what subjects they should study to become writers, I surprise them by replying, “Ceramics and eurhythmic dancing.” When they look surprised I explain, “Ceramics so you can feel form evolving through your fingertips molding the moist clay, and eurhythmic dancing so you can experience the flow of motion through your body. You might develop a sense of freedom that way.”
It’s unlikely that any of his students ever took those classes. They just thought, “Form and freedom. I get it,” and carried on as they were, unchanged. But what if Michener was serious? His advice to his students was to push themselves to do things that didn’t come naturally to them. He urged them to stir the deep waters of the unconscious mind.
People are peculiar; capable of much, yet do little. Doubt, insecurity, fear and ambition blind our wide-open eyes to the colors of meaningful life. We hibernate, deep in the bellies of our comfort zones. We create roadblocks that stand in the way of innovative and creative thinking that can lead us to so much success and happiness. A few of those ways are flawed perceptions, fear of failure, and the inability to persuade others.
Sometimes all we need is a fresh perspective to unlock our perceptions and open new doors; a jolt, so to speak, to our attentional systems– a wake up call.
Do you need a wake up call at work? At home? In your personal life? The more radical and novel the change or experience, the greater the likelihood of new insight.
Just for today, think about doing one of the following things or plan to do one at some point this week. See what happens. And by all means, let me know.
Expand your world today. Meet an interesting person. Learn something new. Make a change you have been thinking about. Transformation happens experientially, not intellectually. James Michener knew this. And now you know it, too.
Tags: Creativity, fresh perspectives, new thinking