"Personal vision, by itself, is not the key to releasing the energy of the creative process. The key is 'creative tension,' the tension between vision and reality.
The most effective people are those who can 'hold' their vision while remaining committed to seeing reality clearly." (Peter Senge Fifth Discipline, 2006)
As Senge describes, committing to a vision for the future inevitably evokes uncomfortable feelings like sadness, discouragement, hopelessness or worry because we recognize the gap between what we desire and reality. It is our ability to learn to allow and manage this discomfort which determines our ability to manifest our vision. In this way, creativity brings the promise of joys and victories but anxieties and tension as well.
If we are unwilling to live with this tension, "we allow our goals to erode." The tendency is to lower our vision or misinterpret reality as closer to our vision than it really is.
"Your ability to accept things as they are (as opposed to how you would like them to be) is how you gain credibility as a leader. Proof that you understand the current reality lies in your capacity to say 'this is how things are now' and for others to respond 'Yeah, that's how the situation looks to me as well.' It's something most leaders either fail to do authentically or altogether. Demonstrating a deep comprehension of the world as it is creates the foundation for everything that follows." (Chris McGoff The Primes: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem, 2012)
"In order to create you must invite anxieties into your life and live anxiously. It is our job to exclaim 'Both creating and not creating make me anxious and I choose the anxiety of creating.'" (Eric Maisel Fearless Creating, 1995)
The most effective people are those who can 'hold' their vision while remaining committed to seeing reality clearly." (Peter Senge Fifth Discipline, 2006)
As Senge describes, committing to a vision for the future inevitably evokes uncomfortable feelings like sadness, discouragement, hopelessness or worry because we recognize the gap between what we desire and reality. It is our ability to learn to allow and manage this discomfort which determines our ability to manifest our vision. In this way, creativity brings the promise of joys and victories but anxieties and tension as well.
If we are unwilling to live with this tension, "we allow our goals to erode." The tendency is to lower our vision or misinterpret reality as closer to our vision than it really is.
"Your ability to accept things as they are (as opposed to how you would like them to be) is how you gain credibility as a leader. Proof that you understand the current reality lies in your capacity to say 'this is how things are now' and for others to respond 'Yeah, that's how the situation looks to me as well.' It's something most leaders either fail to do authentically or altogether. Demonstrating a deep comprehension of the world as it is creates the foundation for everything that follows." (Chris McGoff The Primes: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem, 2012)
"In order to create you must invite anxieties into your life and live anxiously. It is our job to exclaim 'Both creating and not creating make me anxious and I choose the anxiety of creating.'" (Eric Maisel Fearless Creating, 1995)