For me, authentic creativity comes from nothingness, from the space we open to possibility. Other forms of creation are reactionary, responses to immediate stimuli propelled by past habituations. They are imitations of an object or how we imagine others might respond to this object and its so-called creator.
Jason brings up an important point, namely that spacing space (to use Heidegger’s terminology) requires letting go of the fluttering excitement of what seems essential in the moment. Jason mentions building friend networks, establishing a home, and contributing to financial security. For me, my safety and protection centers around my education and the people who teach me. When I sit in meditation and try to space space, I notice that my mind moves, calculating strategies for completing my work, preparing to teach, responding to people, planning menus, etc. All of these things reinforce a sense of self in that moment. They all respond to some kind of fear or desire. The longer I sit, the more I can recognize that there is no substance to these thoughts that arise, and yet they can feel so important in the moment. Even the stimulation from being around so many people at the start of the semester, which earlier in the week caused me to retreat, later in the week was hard to let go of in meditation because the endorphins feel good. The more I can learn to be comfortable in the nothingness, to be comfortable with the sense of pain and not label it pain, the more I stand to gain from the infinite potential of every moment.