New Creativity Book, "Deep Creativity" Author Dr. Victor Shamas Shares Five Ways to Sustain Creative Inspiration

TUCSON, Ariz., March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- If you are in a creative field, your livelihood and reputation depend on moments of creative inspiration. Such moments can give rise to your best work and your most rewarding creative experiences. Yet, inspiration remains one of the great mysteries of human existence. Even the scientists who study creativity do not know where inspiration comes from or how it works.

University of Arizona psychologist and author Dr. Victor Shamas conducted a 30-year research study of creative inspiration, which he chronicles in his new book, "Deep Creativity: Inside the Creative Mystery" (Morgan James Publishing, 2018). The book takes readers inside the experience of inspiration to show them what it takes not just to get inspired but to stay there.

"Every life is filled with opportunities for inspiration," he observes. "If you know how to recognize and make the most of those opportunities, you can sustain a single moment of inspiration indefinitely." According to Shamas, the following five steps can ignite the fire of inspiration and keep it burning inside you:

1. Live your passion. What are you most passionate about in life? Just knowing your passion is not enough. Make it the focal point of your life. Every day, ask yourself: What am I doing to feed and nurture my core passion? Think of each new day as a blank page. Most people put their passion somewhere in the margins. To feel inspired, you need to move it to the center of the page.

2. Take time to play. Inspiration happens when you silence your thoughts. You can do this with meditation, but it is much easier just to play. Do something you enjoy that takes little or no thought. Stretch, go for a walk, pull out a yo-yo, listen to music, dance, smell the fragrance of fresh flowers, or savor a delicious treat. Choose an activity that involves no goal or strategy. Then immerse yourself in it completely.

3. Let your body lead your mind. Being inspired takes an attitude of receptivity that is hard to adopt, especially if you have an overly active mind. But here is a simple trick: Put yourself in an open and receptive physical state and your mind will follow. You can do this by lying flat on your back, with arms extended perpendicular to your torso, palms up, legs open, and jaw relaxed. A few minutes in this position, called Repose, can shift your mind naturally from an active mode to a receptive one, opening you up to new ideas and possibilities.

4. Do the right thing. You are surrounded by people and institutions that are telling you how to think, feel, and act. But only one person knows what is right for you. Make sure that the influence of others does not strip you of the freshness and spontaneity that are needed for inspiration. Question even the most mundane tasks. The idea is not just to be different. Be genuine. Reject arbitrary social conventions that cannot fulfill or inspire you.

5. Act on your vision. How do you create an inspired life? Start by envisioning it. What do you dream of being, doing, or having? Reach for the stars. Be idealistic. Think about the kind of world in which you want to live. Once you have a vision, make sure you believe in it. Your faith gives you the conviction to act, and your actions can shape the future.

Shamas maintains that even the briefest flash of inspiration can change everything: your life, your world, and even the course of history. In a moment of inspiration, you come fully into your creative power. If you can stretch that moment and make it last, the rewards and possibilities at your disposal are virtually limitless.

About Victor Shamas
Dr. Victor Shamas is a University of Arizona psychologist, founder of two non-profit organizations (PlayHaven and Global Chant), and author of four books: Deep Creativity: Inside the Creative Mystery, The Way of Play, The Chanter's Guide, and the Amazon bestseller, Repose: The Potent Pause. His research, which focuses on creativity, inspiration, intuition, sacred music, and play, has been featured in USA Today, Pregnancy magazine, and NBC's Today show.

About Morgan James Publishing
Morgan James publishes trade quality titles designed to educate, encourage, inspire, or entertain readers with current, consistent, relevant topics that are available everywhere books are sold.
(www.MorganJamesPublishing.com)

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SOURCE Morgan James Publishing