INSPIRING QUOTE

Work and (not 'or’) Wander

Dorothy Parker’s champagne-soaked wit cuts like a razor, reminding us that creativity thrives in the dance between an untamed mind, chasing wild ideas, and an eye sharp enough to carve them into brilliance.

🧠 The Brain Backs It Up

Neuroscience agrees that (sometimes) great ideas emerge when you aren’t trying so hard (hello, Default Mode Network), but great ideas also need laser focus to come alive. It’s not about always being “on,” but instead about knowing when to wander and when to work. So go ahead, take a silly walk— 🕺. Then sit down and refine what you found.

🎯 Two Kinds of Focus

For creative thinking, the ability to control at will the focus of one’s focus is ideal. Sometimes it’s best to have laser-like focus which allows perspiration-driven work. At other times, it’s best to use daydream-like wandering focus, which engenders inspirational ideas. The key takeaway here is that you need to do both: laser focus and wandering focus.

🕊️ Focus Isn’t Just Grit

When I first decided to write about focus, I thought focus was like blocking and tackling, a fundamental skill that requires form, grit, and toughness. However, focus is even more involved than the analogy implies. For creative thinking, focus is more akin to flying because sometimes you need to let yourself fall without fear about whether you’ll regain your wings. Once you understand how important this duality is then you understand that focusing involves a delicate balancing act in order to execute successfully.

This Week’s Kreatio’s Edition Is Sponsored:

CREATIVITY SPOTLIGHT

The Liminal Mind of David Lynch

David Lynch, the late visionary filmmaker behind surrealist masterpieces like "Eraserhead" and "Twin Peaks," has long attributed his creative success to a deliberate dance between intense focus and expansive awareness with Transcendental Meditation (TM) as his choreographer.

Lynch, a dedicated TM practitioner since 1973, commits to two 20-minute meditation sessions daily. This practice represents a form of deep and concentrated focus, not on his creative work but on accessing what he describes as "an ocean of pure consciousness." During these periods, Lynch cultivates a singular attention which quiets his analytical mind.

🌫️ Insight From the In-Between

However, Lynch doesn't generate his iconic imagery during meditation itself. Instead, his most profound creative insights emerge during what he calls "the mist where logic dissolves”: those transitional moments between meditation and ordinary consciousness. In his book "Catching the Big Fish," Lynch explains that ideas come "like fish" when his mind exists in this liminal space.

This metaphor perfectly captures his creative methodology, by which disciplined focus creates conditions for free-flowing inspiration.

🎡 The Dual State of Creativity

Lynch's process demonstrates that creative brilliance requires both states, the ability to direct focus with laser precision and the willingness to release control and thereby allow the mind to wander through unexpected territories. His example suggests that mastering this cognitive flexibility might be the true secret to imaginative breakthroughs.

BLINKS, THINKS & LINKS

Curiosity Candy

• Thisissand is a digital art and relaxation tool by which you click or touch your screen to pour virtual sand, which then accumulates in colorful layers at the bottom. The sound of falling sand is almost like moving water, and the effect is the same: very relaxing. But is it on the screen? Only one way to find out.
  

• Did you know big advocates of Transcendental Meditation include legends from The Beatles to Jerry Seinfeld to investor Ray Dalio? And V.C. Hanna ;)

• Get up and go for a walk. No link required!

ACTIONABLE PROMPTS

A Brief, but Complete Guide to TM-like Meditation 🧘

The “focus of focus” is vast enough of a topic to carry its own newsletter/podcast. It’s relevant to everyone, everywhere. This edition isn’t aiming to cover all of it at once. We’ll be returning to the topic repeatedly like a series. But first things first. This week’s actionable prompt is on clearing the mind and honing one’s focus.

True Transcendental Meditation involves personalized instruction from a certified TM teacher who provides a specific mantra and tailored guidance. This overview offers you a general framework of the technique, which I’ve found to be extraordinarily effective without professional, paid assistance.

✅ Learn it,
✅ Do it!
✅ And you won’t regret it.

•  1️⃣ Prior to the meditation, Choose your Mantra.

  • The mantra should be a one-syllable word or two one-syllable words.

  • Use meaningless sounds (e.g., “Zee,” “Ram”) without linguistic or cultural associations.

  • ⚠️ Avoid words that may trigger mental narratives or emotions tied to language.
    

• 2️⃣ Position yourself comfortably.

  • Sit comfortably in a chair with your back supported, feet flat on the floor, and hands resting in your lap. The goal is to be alert yet relaxed.

  • Or be in any position that’s comfortable for you.
 This one is very personal.
    

• 3️⃣ Close Your Eyes.

  • Gently close your eyes and allow your body to begin relaxing naturally.
 😌
    

• 4️⃣ Begin with Natural Breathing.

  • Take a few natural breaths without regulating your breathing pattern.
 🌬️
    

• 5️⃣ Repeat Your Mantra.

  • Silently say your mantra for 5–20 minutes.

  • Let thoughts come and go. Don’t force focus.

  • When distracted by other thoughts (which will naturally occur), don't resist them. Simply return to the mantra.
 🌀
    

• 6️⃣ Finish Gently

  • At the end of your session, conclude the repeating mantra and sit quietly with closed eyes for a few minutes before slowly opening your eyes.

    

• 7️⃣ Do this daily

  • Once or twice a day at the same time or at various times.

  • But try to do it consistently.

Thanks for reading,

V.C. Hanna
Founder, Kreatio