Cycles of Creativity and How They Relate to God

There are cycles of creativity that each of us pass through in our lives but here’s how they relate to God.

Light and Darkness

It is certain to me that energy levels run in cycles and they absolutely affect the outcome of creativity in all facets of life. That is purely my own opinion but, similar opinions have been held by others as well. There have been mounds of research done on this subject, but proving such a theory is not easy to do. We are dealing with an intangible subject when we look at creative energy and cycles that have an effect on such energy. The subject being intangible is where I place God into the issue. I know that there are many people who do not believe in God but, I do and, I have to think and write from my own belief system. This is not a religious debate but rather a theory. This is just how I feel and how I can best explain my theory. It can also be described as Light, being God, and Darkness, being the Devil but, the theory for me is basically the same. Now let us take a look at how the positive and negative energies might influence our creativity.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Attitude Is Everything

Thought processes within one’s self have everything to do with how things work out. Our belief system as a whole is what carries us, in a certain way, through all that we encounter as we journey through life. What we think about ourselves and others is the foundation for all we do, no matter how big or how small. We may not acknowledge this as fact but it is truly an underlying force from within. The approach we take toward everything we do is going to be either a positive force or a negative one. It all depends on what is going on inside our heads and our hearts.

Learning to deal with these unseen forces can set you free from the worry and stress of cycles that seem to block your creative flow. We can learn how these forces are shaping our lives and therefore our work, and by learning we can better cope with whatever task is at hand. A lifetime ago, I was struggling with issues that seemed to beat me down and push me to the brink of extinction. I was lost and unable to cope with all that life was settling on my plate. The world seemed to crush my very soul with all the weight and force of anything and everything that existed within it. I was certain I was doomed.

“For as he thinks in his heart, so he is” (Prov 23:7).

My Rotten Attitude

I had gotten to a point where I felt closed in and unproductive though I was working regularly and functioning enough to make a living. Things just seemed to be beyond my reach and life was not going the way that I expected it should be. I felt myself slipping into a deep depression and I knew that this could be the beginning of my demise. I struggled to keep up a positive front at work and with my friends but on the inside, I was falling apart. I turned further inward and began to withdraw from everyone around me. I stopped caring about anything and was living life in motion without being attached to my inner being. I was giving up.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).

Difference of Night and Day

Feeling overwhelmed by issues and events in one’s life kicks a person’s survival instinct in. This is the mind’s way of notifying you that something is wrong. It doesn’t matter who you are. When the feeling arises you have to deal with it so that it does not consume you. The deteriorating effects of emotional dilemmas can and do work hard on one’s physical health. Many times you may not even be aware of the underlying problems that are lurking within your body. The best thing anyone can do is to try and stay in tune with your body and mind and be aware of existing positive and negative cycles that definitely have an effect on both. Christians know that there are spiritual forces of darkness working against believers (Eph 6:12).

The mind and body work together as do the positive and negative. Now you may ask, “How can that be?” if “MY” belief system thinks the positive is God and the negative is the Devil’s? My explanation for that is quite simple. We would not know the positive without knowing the negative. When we see satanic evil we more easily recognize the goodness of God. You can’t have one without the other. This is more or less a truism of nature. You cannot fully appreciate the day without knowing the night. We appreciate the sunshine all the more after a long, dark night.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).

The Ebb and Flow

The biggest picture example I can think of is to use is the cycle of life and death as a human being. This is a very broad spectrum but it serves my purpose. There are smaller elements within this broad spectrum that illustrate the whole. Let’s take a look at it from a human point of view.

THE CYCLE OF HUMAN LIFE

• Infant
• Toddler
• Youngster or ages 5-11
• Pre-teen or junior high school age
• Teenager or high school age
• Young adult
• Adult
• Mid-life
• Senior
• Elder

All of the descriptions above define the cycles of human life. How can anyone think for one second, that there are NO CYCLES in life? It is too simple. That might be the entire problem. We humans seem to enjoy making things much more complicated than they really are or need to be.

Now let’s consider creativity from the simplest view as outlined above. Put the same creative challenge in front of one person from each category of the above outline and you are sure to come up with 10 very unique results. Now question yourself as to whether or not cycles affect productivity. There is no doubt it does. My point is that we live in a realm of cycles of energy and, it has extreme effects on everything we do. Going with the flow of our own inner needs is what can make the difference in all creative challenges we’ll face.

Like the night follows day, so does a lack of creativity follow an outpouring of great creative achievement. It is part of the natural cycles of human beings and it can be a time for relaxation and rejuvenation. I stress again to go with the flow.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Pet 5:6-7).

Our Lacking Educational System

I personally find it a sad situation that this subject is not taught as a regular and continuing part of childhood development in our school systems. Our young people are missing out on a very definite attribute that could do no less than improve all angles of education if we would only start teaching this subject from the very beginning. The very approach we take toward structured education only hinders our progress within existing cycles. There is no “one-size-fits-all” method in our educating children.

There is in fact something to a situation where a child does not feel up to working with a larger group. We often punish the non-participating child, rather than trying to deal with the cause of such behavior. By doing this, we’re creating baggage within a child’s character that can be carried into adulthood and cause continual conflict in that person’s life. The resulting effects can hinder progress and retard the student’s abilities.

How to Go With the Flow

A little bit of research on natural law, self-help and creativity can give anyone a push toward better productivity with better quality in all fields of a person’s creativity. It doesn’t matter if your work is in photography or journalism, fine arts or animation, tuning into yourself and understanding how cycles weigh on your personal psyche, can give you the edge needed to soar higher in your desired achievements.

Here is some related reading for you: What Does the Bible Say About Education?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Author’s Bio

Aston Rhodes is a content writer for a software company. She enjoys sharing her experiences with a like-minded audience and writes on different topics. Besides she’s a wife and a mother to a beautiful daughter. She loves spending time with her family and their hobbies include traveling, hiking, crafting, and more.