Creativity: Unleashing the Forces Within

by Osho

Overview

From one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the twentieth century, Creativity: Unleashing the Forces Within will inspire you to nurture your inner ideas and innovations—and apply them in every aspect of your life.

As Osho points out in this book’s foreword, historically, the creative person has been all but forced to rebel against the society.

But nowadays, the situation has dramatically changed. In today’s world, the ability to respond creatively to new challenges is demanded of everybody, from corporate CEOs to “soccer moms.” Those whose toolbox for dealing with life includes only what they have learned in the past from their parents and their teachers are at a distinct disadvantage both in their relationships and in their careers. Making a switch from imitative and rule-bound behavior to creative innovation and flexibility requires a profound change in our attitudes about ourselves and our capabilities.

Creativity is a handbook for those who understand the need to bring more creativity, playfulness, and flexibility to their lives. It’s a manual for thinking “outside the box”—and learning to live there as well.

Osho challenges readers to examine and break free of the conditioned belief systems and prejudices that limit their capacity to enjoy life in all its richness. He has been described by the Sunday Times of London as one of the “1000 Makers of the 20th Century” and by Sunday Mid-Day (India) as one of the ten people—along with Gandhi, Nehru, and Buddha—who have changed the destiny of India. Since his death in 1990, the influence of his teachings continues to expand, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312205195
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/30/1999
Series:	Osho Insights for a New Way of Living
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.35(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Osho is one of the most provocative and inspiring spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. Known for his revolutionary contribution to the science of inner transformation, the influence of his teachings continues to grow, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world. He is the author of many books, including Love, Freedom, Aloneness; The Book of Secrets; and Innocence, Knowledge, and Wonder.

Read an Excerpt

Become a child again and you will be creative. All children are creative. Creativity needs freedom -- freedom from the mind, freedom from knowledge, freedom from prejudices. A creative person is one who can try the new. A creative person is not a robot. Robots are never creative, they are repetitive. So become a child again.

And you will be surprised that all children are creative -- all children, wherever they are born, are creative. But we don't allow their creativity, we crush and kill their creativity, we jump upon them. We start teaching them the right way to do things.

Remember, a creative person always goes on trying the wrong ways. If you always follow the right way to do a thing you will never be creative -- because the right way means the way discovered by others. And the right way means that of course you will be able to make something, you will become a producer, a manufacturer, you will be a technician, but you will not be a creator.

What is the difference between a producer and a creator? A producer knows the right way of doing a thing, the most economical way of doing a thing; with the least effort he can create more results. He is a producer. A creator fools around. He does not know what is the right way to do a thing so he goes on seeking and searching again and again in different directions. Many times he moves in a wrong direction -- but wherever he moves, he learns. He becomes more and more rich. He does something that nobody has ever done before. If he had followed the right way to do things he would not have been able to do it.

Listen to this small story....

A Sunday school teacher asked her students to draw a picture of the Holy Family. After the pictures were brought to her, she saw that some of the youngsters had drawn the conventional pictures -- the Holy Family in the manger, the Holy Family riding on the mule, and the like.

But she called up one little boy to ask him to explain his drawing, which showed an airplane with four heads sticking out of the plane windows.

She said, "I can understand why you drew three of the heads to show Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. But who's the fourth head?"

"Oh," answered the boy, "that's Pontius the Pilot!"

Now this is beautiful! This is what creativity is. He has discovered something. But only children can do that. You will be afraid to do it, afraid you will look foolish.

A creator has to be able to look foolish. A creator has to risk his so-called respectability. Only those who are ready to put their prestige, their pride, their respectability at stake again and again, and can go on into something which nobody thinks is worth going into.... Creators are always thought to be mad people. The world recognizes them, but very late. It goes on thinking that something is wrong. Creators are eccentric people.

What People are Saying About This

Peter Max

Osho's words are like brush stokes of poetry. Eash stroke is a beautiful expression unto itself, and the overall work is that of a master. Osho is a painter of words that touch the heart, mind and soul.