How to Grow Humanity's Creativity

Reflection #56: Maximum growth requires maximum freedom

This short reflection was written for the Soaring Twenties Social Club (STSC) Symposium with the theme of “How to grow your _____.” (If you are a writer interested in the STSC, more details at the end of the post)

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When humans are free, creation is what we do.  We create meaning, purpose, knowledge, art, technology, science, civilization, more humans, families, society, and order.  We are universal creators and creation is our purpose. 

Inside each of us burns the energetic promethean soul-fire driven by the interplay of logos – the divine universal life force of creation and eros – the raw primal creative power in each of us. The ancient Greeks called it logos and eros.  We call it drive, obsession, or devotion.  Mystics call it vitality, prana, chi, qi or kundalini. Buddhists call it impermanence. 

Impermanence is another word for change.  And, in this case, change is another word for growth and transformation. It is all part of the divine dance of duality which manifests in the male and female energies. Our creative consciousness arises at the boundaries between the two where non-form becomes form and where form becomes non-form.   

In humans, art and sex are different ways of channeling the same creative energy.  

And, our ultimate creation is the growth and transformation of our own souls. The reason great societies and thinkers value freedom so highly is that they understand that maximum growth requires maximum freedom. If freedom regresses, so too does the growth of our souls toward wholesomeness (collectively). To see such regression, simply turn on the news.

This creative urge is the energy that drives us from our deepest core. In the light of freedom, it grows. In the darkness of repression (inflicted or externally enforced) it transforms into unwholesome pursuits.

Looked at this way, sex is not an isolated act but, rather, procreation is a subset of this underlying universal human imperative to create.  It is, as I said, what humans do.  We procreate and create because creating feels good.  We have been designed in this way through evolution and we seek our true path by seeking, through a feeling called curiosity, what feels wholesomely good (or, if we are uncentered or repressed, we attempt to fulfill this need with unwholesome substitutes — distracting curiosity, poor substitutes for creativity, numbing agents/activities, simply suffering our way through life with existential angst).

We create more humans, that is true, and that is a hugely important factor in our co-creating a better universe with the divine.  It is how we expand the organism of humanity which, along with all life, is a growing counter-force to entropy.  However, procreation is but a subset of our larger purpose to channel this energy into various forms of creation.  In short, art and sex are different ways of channeling the same creative energy, as is utilizing our vitality to create the transformation and growth of our own souls.  This is the energy that drives us from our deepest core.

“Just as trees grow flowers and fruits, humanity creates works of art.”

— Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

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This piece was written for the Soaring Twenties Social Club (STSC) Symposium. The STSC is a small, exclusive online speakeasy where a dauntless band of raconteurs, writers, artists, philosophers, flaneurs, musicians, idlers, and bohemians share ideas and companionship. Occasionally, STSC members create something around a set theme. This time the theme was “How to grow your _____.” If you are a writer, I encourage you to consider joining us, I’ve included details at the bottom of this post. Lastly, you can find all my past symposium pieces by clicking here.

If you’d like to support independent writing online, you can subscribe to the STSC publication here. If you are a writer yourself, I encourage you to join us. You’d be joining a group of like minded compatriots. We have nearly 300 incredible writers & artists in our private Discord group (which will be capped at 300). As an author member, you’d have the opportunity to have your own writing appear on the STSC publication. To become a writing member, simply sign up as a premium subscriber on our founder’s, Thomas J. Bevan, personal Substack by clicking here. Once you do, Tom will send you an invite for our Discord group. Tell him “Clintavo” sent you!