Awakening the Senses as Pathway to Creative Surprise
Candace Vance
Creative Surprise. Just typing that phrase fills me with delight, with mystery, with energy. Likely we all experienced Creative Surprise as children, when we were so lost in our games of make-believe that the fairy princess, pirate king, or Jedi knight couldn’t help but bust out in impassioned monologue or move into spontaneous choreography. Or when we were up to our elbows in finger paint and what ended up on the page was not what we had intended, but it was thrilling. Or when we sang at the top of our lungs for the pure pleasure of making bold sound, and what came out was a gloriously original melody. Likely those of us in the Arts as adults remember these moments from childhood, because we found them intoxicating. And, perhaps, we wanted to “do” them better.
So we started to practice, and we learned technique. We went to dance class. We took creative writing courses. We learned how to read music, and took private lessons. We worked on our craft. Some of us even auditioned and got into conservatories or university programs to better ourselves artistically. And we got to work; we worked hard. And we experienced enough Creative Surprise along the way to keep us going—when the writing ideas seemed to come out of nowhere, when the improv riff poured out of us, when the dance erupted unfettered from our core, when the spontaneous acting moment shocked us with its intensity. These are the elusive magical moments that inspired—and still inspire—us to do the hard work.
But, what about those times when Creative Surprise doesn’t make an appearance? When we feel stuck in a rut? When everything feels technical and we’ve lost that sense of fun, of joy, in our work? It can sometimes feel like Creative Surprise will never return, and it can feel like a courageous act to show up again at the easel, the practice room, or barre. It takes bravery to believe that Creative Surprise will happen again, especially in those times when it seems to continually elude us. But that bravery is not foolhardiness: there are concrete things we can do, practices we can put in place, that foster Creative Surprise. While we can’t forcefully generate it (or it wouldn’t be a surprise!), we can open ourselves to its possibility. One such practice that I have come to embrace, and which has become fundamental to my artistic process is what I call the awakening of the senses as pathway to Creative Surprise.
This, though, demands a follow-up question: what is on the other end of the path? I’m not sure it’s necessarily a linear path. It might be more useful to consider the pathway as moving from one sphere—one way of being—into a larger encompassing sphere, and then into a yet larger encompassing sphere in which Creative Surprise might occur. With this idea in mind, perhaps the pathway to Creative Surprise is one which takes us from the sphere of cognitive “thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem-solving” to the larger sphere that includes imagination and perception, to the even larger sphere of “intuitive understanding and insight.”
So: are there things that trap us in one sphere and block the pathway to the larger encompassing sphere where Creative Surprise might occur? For me, yes. Many external obstacles block the path. Things like stress. Making rent money. Meal planning. The constant pull to my phone for social media, texts, emails. A global pandemic. The presidential election. Racial injustice. Fires up and down the west coast. Fear of ecological disaster. And internal things block the path for me as well. The ferocity with which I pursue my own dreams. My to-do lists. Fear of failing my children. Worry over not being good enough. All these things individually might keep me in one sphere—one way of being—that is entirely marked by “thinking, judging, problem-solving.” Taken together, which is the reality of life on many days, these things can completely overwhelm me, making it impossible to enter into that larger encompassing sphere which includes space for imagination, perception, and intuition.
In order to re-arrive at that youthful awakened state in which Creative Surprise can appear, I have developed a daily practice. Where my feelers are out, so to say, and I can work from a highly perceptive and open place. Where I ostensibly have millions of receptors on the outside of my being, so I won’t miss Creative Surprise when it shows up! Of course, there are many daily practices that might be helpful; this is one thirty minute ritual I continue to practice and have found consistently reliable in opening the pathway. I encourage you to use from this what works for you, to be confident in modifying, and to give yourself the freedom to invent your own practices.
Awakening the Senses as Pathway to Creative Surprise, a daily practice in eight steps:
1. Get physical to release the tension that is clogging things up.
Whatever the cause of tension, getting physical can release much of it—at least for one creative work period. Go to the gym, go for a run, do yoga, swim, take a long walk, ride a bike around the lake. I like to breathe fresh air while getting physical, so I tend to choose the walking-outside option, followed by deep breathing and stretching. I choose to pay attention to nature, and not the news or music. According to your interest and ability, get physical for at least twenty minutes.
2. Find a place where you can be alone.
Be with yourself, where you are. Settle into the present.
3. Ask yourself: what do I see?
Really look. Look as far and as wide as you can. Allow something to capture your attention, for whatever reason, and focus in on it. Take the time to notice details. Perhaps you will be surprised by a detail! Welcome the surprise.
4. Ask yourself: what do I hear?
Really listen. Hear the loudest things, and then focus in on some sound that catches your ear. Take the time to notice details. Close your eyes if you need to. Perhaps your mind will start to wander as you listen. Welcome the wandering.
5. Ask yourself: what do I smell?
Really smell. Notice the variety of smells that might co-exist. Choose the most pleasant smell, and take time to give it your attention. Perhaps you will be surprised by a memory that the smell inspires! Welcome the memory.
6. Ask yourself: what do I taste?
Really taste. Does tasting the flavor in your mouth create a physiological response? Does your mouth begin to water, or your stomach begin to growl? Welcome the physiological response.
7. Ask yourself: what do I touch?
Give attention to how the ground feels underneath you, how the air feels on your face, how your clothes feel on your skin. How do your muscles feel in your own body? You will likely notice some tension. Mentally invite your muscles to soften, and pay attention to the sensation that creates in your body. Welcome the softening.
8. Spend a final moment welcoming what comes.
Perhaps your curiosity was piqued by one step in the practice; take a minute to return to the curiosity. Perhaps your mind feels blank; enjoy the lack of stress. Often, an idea presents itself in this final stage of the daily practice, or a creative problem you’ve been chewing on for days “magically” resolves. Perhaps you will simply feel more centered and ready for your work. Welcome this centering
And then get to work! Do the performance. Write the chapter. Record the piece. Generate the choreography. Whatever the form of expression, the pathway is open (or at least more open) for Creative Surprise. As I have immersed myself in this practice, it has deepened over time. My sense of touch is more dynamic. I see more color. I hear subtler sounds. By focusing on these things, even for a few minutes each day, I find myself more open to possibility. I also find that I am able to inhabit these larger encompassing spheres for longer periods of time. The pathways to Creative Surprise remain open and unblocked for longer, so that working from a wide sphere of imagination, perception and intuition becomes more than a practice. It becomes a way of being, of moving through life.
This way of being—open to imagination, perception, and intuition—absolutely affects my artistry. Although I can’t prove it scientifically, I think it also affects the other parts of my human experience. Importantly, as I awaken my senses and allow the external to affect my internal, the internal conversely affects my external. I find I’m more present with my family, a better listener in civic discussions, a greater appreciator of beauty, a more thorough enjoyer of delicious flavors. I also find I’m more grounded as I weather the very external and internal stressors that can block my pathway to Creative Surprise, contributing to a more productive use of my thinking, judging, problem-solving capacities. The practice of awakening the senses as pathway to Creative Surprise has, then, not only had a positive influence on my artistic experience and output, but on my experience of being human.
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Candace Vance teaches acting and directing at Seattle Pacific University. She is an active director, playwright, and advocate for children’s rights.
