DAY TWO: MORNING (I) – Brian

Brian: Hi Magnes. Perhaps like a lot of people, I have had a dream that remains un-fulfilled, essentially because I haven’t found a way to make it happen.

MAGNES JACK: Brian, is it possible to share your dream, or would you prefer to keep it private for now?

Brian: I’d prefer to keep it private if that’s ok.

MAGNES JACK: No, that’s fine. There are a couple of things to mention in this regard Brian.

Firstly, that our capacity to create is more often than not, limited by our unconscious beliefs in whether it is possible, or whether we are capable, and so on. So even before we sit down with a pen and paper to create, our hands are, to a large extent, tied behind our backs.

Now, it could be, that your dream is extremely complex to find an answer to. Or, you may have already decided that the answer needs to look a certain way, and you keep trying to force a solution into a certain box.

Brian: Actually, Magnes, that does ring true for me – although I’m loathed to admit it. But I have placed quite stringent demands on what kind of solution I want.

MAGNES JACK: Ok, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Creativity often thrives on constraint. The important point is to be aware of the constraints you are placing on the process. Effectively, you are laying out parameters and saying, “Ok, see what you can do within these constraints.” Then, you have a go, and see what comes of it. Based on that, you would shift your approach, and keep shifting, till you get a sniff of the track.

But going back to your original point, if it is taking years for you to manifest this dream and you haven’t made much progress, then that would suggest to me that you are setting yourself up to fail in some way.

Brian: Well, hmmmm. That’s got me thinking. It’s not a pleasant though, that’s for sure. Because I really want to make this thing. But I just haven’t been able to figure it out.

MAGNES JACK: Then, stop trying to figure it out and switch your approach. Perhaps explore your perceptions about the problem. Maybe the problem you see isn’t quite there. Some of the best creativity is about problem re-definition. Suddenly, in a whoosh of smoke, the problem disappears.

MAGNES JACK: Alternatively, scale down your expectations, and see if you can solve one aspect of it, rather than the whole thing. Expect to succeed, enjoy the process, and stay flexible.

Brian: Thank you Magnes. I feel a lot better about it already, and can definitely see that I have been placing constraints on how I want it to be. Constraints, that I can see, aren’t helping.

MAGNES JACK: Ok, Brian. I wish you well with it.