Jacob Nordby’s book “The Creative Cure” is one of the most touching books I have read about creativity.
Like many of us, Jacob has gone through his share of heartbreak. But he was able to use those experiences to come home to himself and cultivate the creativity that was always a part of him.
Creativity is more than creating something new; it is also about finding your inner artist to heal your life.
The Creative Formula
We can see every creative action as anything that brings something into the world that didn’t exist before. Furthermore, we can arrive at that result by using a unique formula.
Jacob Nordby defines the Creative Formula as:
Imagination + Feelings/Intuition + Story = Action/Results
Let’s look at each part individually:
Imagination
Remember when you were younger, and you had an imaginary friend, or you would play imaginary games?
Life seemed so simple then, right?
Jacob says that our imagination and inner creative self have been shut down over time through:
- Socialization
- Trauma
- Rejection
Most of us have a resistance to trying new things and getting things wrong because of the three things mentioned above.
We don’t want to make mistakes or fail.
The good news is that our imagination can be restored through curiosity and playfulness.
Imagination is like a muscle that can be strengthened when we consistently try to see things in new ways.
We can strengthen our imagination in many different ways, such as:
- Shifting perspective
- Welcoming randomness
- Setting certain kinds of limits
Feelings And Intuition
Another aspect of coming home to ourselves is to rediscover our intuition.
You know that little voice inside telling you that you should do something, but you don’t know why?
Yeah, that’s probably your intuition.
Jacob believes that our intuition can help us make decisions based on an intelligence that we may not even be aware of.
Intuition means knowing something from an instinctive feeling instead of conscious reasoning.
Scientifically speaking, our right brain can evaluate situations that help us take actions that are in our best interest before we even have a chance to rationalize them.
How’s that for intuition?
The key is honoring our feelings and emotions so that we can listen and follow our intuition.
What’s Your Story?
Are you writing your own story, or are you allowing socialization, trauma, or rejection to let your story write you?
When these enemies of creativity are in control, your inner creative self will take a back seat.
When you decide to become the author of your own life, you will stop being small and step into the fullness of who you are.
I don’t know about you, but that’s what I’m here for.
Jacob tells us that unlocking powerful tools for creative imagination will require us to look at who we are in the stories we tell ourselves, along with the stories that are told to us.
He says to write our story in a way that creates energy for us and brings us to our full potential.
In the book, there are some excellent questions to ask to get us closer to becoming the author of our own stories.
If you feel like your story needs a rewrite, try:
- Acceptance
- Curiosity
- Compassion
Final Thoughts
This brings us to the results of the Creative Formula.
Although a creative practice includes time spent honing a craft, it should also include those actions that help us restore our inner connection to joy.
There is a whole list of items in the book that could be included in a creative practice. Try to remember that it’s about intuition and honoring strong emotional responses.
The exercises in the book create such eye-opening experiences. I have learned so much about myself through the journaling prompts and my new journey into poetry practice. It has been emotional and transformational.
I hope you decide to check out this book, no matter where you are on your journey. Thank you for reading!
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Sachi Reads Daily 