The art of creative ritual

The creative process is like tending a garden. You can’t force the plants to grow faster. You can only cultivate the conditions from which they arise.

I used to always be in a hurry – to do things faster, to get further, to accomplish more. And I became frustrated when this approach backfired. I wasn’t creating from a place of depth and I wasn’t getting anywhere.

I was living in New York City, working in advertising, when I discovered meditation and yoga. After class (at Golden Bridge, on the congested streets of Chinatown) it felt like I had opened my channel of inspiration. I started bringing a notebook to the studio so I could jot down the ideas I was downloading.

How strange, I thought, that when I try to force it, my writing feels like labor. But when I let go, drop into my body, and quiet my busy mind, the words flow with ease.

There is a mystery and magic to the creative process. The best ideas do not result from talent or intelligence, but from opening and softening your consciousness to become receptive to the voice of the muse. Attracting the muse is like attracting a lover, a delicate ritual of seduction.

A ritual is any action done with intention and devotion. When you honor your creative practice as a ritual, it creates the conditions for the muse to visit, as though you are cleaning your house before inviting over a special guest.

A ritual is your own personal ceremony. It doesn’t have to be fancy. The ambient composer Terry Riley takes off his shoes before entering his studio, an act of reverence. The Swedish painter Hilma af Klint began each painting by going into a seance-induced trance, summoning visions which she sketched onto paper.

During the recording of his 1975 album Station to Station, David Bowie engaged in occult rituals (inspired by Aleister Crowley and Kabbalah), taking copious amounts of cocaine, pulling tarot cards, and casting spells of protection.

My personal rituals are much less dramatic. I write each morning, while my channel is still open. I start with a simple meditation, drink yerba mate, listen to instrumental music, and feel into what is trying to move through me.

I used to drink coffee (and still do, later in the day), but switched to yerba mate because I feel like it opens, rather than contracts, my awareness. In my experience, the focus of coffee is good for editing, but not for downloading original thoughts.

When Allen Ginsberg was asked if he polished his poetry after writing, he said no, but that he polishes his mind before writing (through meditation or psychedelics), cultivating his consciousness to become a channel for the muse.

Some days are more productive than others. I might write a complete poem or nothing at all. The ritual is more important than the output. Like a baseball player, the more times you swing the bat, the more chances you have of hitting a homerun.

The dedicated artist doesn’t sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. They go outside and do a rain dance to summon the storm.

Having a dedicated creative ritual is how you make inspiration a habit.

Free virtual workshop

Turn your creative process into a ritual.

The Art of Creative Ritual is an exploration of designing your own creative ritual, channeling the muse, and turning inspiration into a habit.

What’s included:

• Presentation by James McCrae

• Guided meditation

• Writing exercise

Take the Workshop