‘*Don’t seek, don’t search, don’t ask, don’t knock, don’t demand – relax. If you relax, it comes. If you relax it is there…’ * Osho
*’I have never experienced this combination of really relaxing and getting so much work done.’ * Vera Sch., UD Rotterdam, after writing week for PhD students
Living in two countries and running your own business without fixed working hours often creates confusion. ‘Have a good vacation!’ ‘Enjoy!’ I often hear when I’m about to travel again. Based on these farewell wishes, you’d think I’m in a perpetual vacation state. Traveling to Greece quickly gives the impression that I spend my days lounging on the beach, partying and dancing sirtaki, while Greeks see my stay in the Netherlands as family visits and going on ‘volta’ (going out) with my ‘parea’ (friends).
The opposite is true. I’ve never worked so much in my life as in recent years. What really helps is that working with a view of the blue sea and taking regular dips is good for the much-needed balance. I experience daily how important relaxation is and how detrimental pressure to perform and overactivity are for the creative process and my happiness in life.
It sounds so obvious that creating something new, giving something your full attention, can only happen when you’re relaxed – physically, emotionally, and mentally. With a relaxed body, not distracted by thoughts, pressure, the urge to control and perform. At the same time, it’s so damn difficult.
Under pressure to perform faster, better, and more, to communicate, network, show what we’re capable of, and more, we’ve unlearned the art of relaxing and resting. The result is that we often demand too much of ourselves and continue non-stop. A pressure that narrows our vision and locks thinking into what it already knows.
A few years ago, a social experiment showed how we lose our sense of what’s important under pressure. Priests were called to urgently substitute a religious class at a high school. One group of priests was told the class was already waiting, and another group that they had half an hour to prepare. In the hallway to the classroom, researchers had placed a man who was clearly in distress and showing signs of a heart attack. He begged for someone to call a doctor… Seven out of ten priests who had heard their class was waiting dutifully walked past without helping. After all, a class was waiting…
On the other hand, we can experience that when we relax, something beautiful can emerge. As many participants in our art program often show, the most beautiful work emerges when there’s no pressure anymore, when they just want to use up some leftover paint and feel free to experiment.
Do you have an important project waiting, a job that requires your creativity and innovation? Start by resting and relaxing first. Literally by lying down on your bed, meditating, and for those who become restless from rest, by doing something you enjoy. Go to the sauna, get a massage, or take a long walk in the forest. You can also come to Artisa where you can optimally combine relaxation, productivity, and creativity.
When you relax, it’s there. If you relax it is there. If you relax you start vibrating with it…