Looking Through the Lens of Creation (Appreciating Effort)

Ever watch Olympic sprinting?

In the nine seconds that race takes, you're seeing an eternity of effort unfold. For each athlete on the grid trained countless hours to develop the speed, the talent, the raw explosiveness that transpires when the gunshot sounds.

Ever read a book?

In the days or weeks it takes you to digest that material, you're consuming the product of months or years of labor. So long the author spent scribing that story, setting upon the page the exact words necessary to pull you into that world.

Those are two simple examples, but there are infinite others. For each act of creation, for each finished product, there exists behind it a wealth of material and energetic resources spent making those works.

Yet so rarely do we consider those things. The mind has a tendency to examine only the completed product, and rarely delves into the past efforts that manifested those results.

And that's a genuine shame--because if you actually look at the world through the lens of a creator, you begin seeing all the invisible time and energy people put into their projects. You begin appreciating all the unseen effort that went into the construction of everything you usually take for granted.

And you start seeing the world in a new light. For after recognizing how much work went into building everything up, you begin feeling incredibly reticent towards tearing anything down.

Saying mean things, issuing criticism undue, destroying with words or actions--these deeds are all antithesis to positivity. And these are the acts that someone who looks through the lens of creation will rarely commit.

Ever catch yourself saying "life sucks?"

Before making such a blanket condemnation, have you even considered how much energy the universe is expending so that you can enjoy yourself in corporeal form? Have you ever contemplated how much work it takes to keep this show running?

Creation is painfully hard. Destruction is woefully simple.

So before you tear down anything that somebody built, before you disparage any fraction of their efforts, think about all the time and energy and effort that went into construction of those works. Then once you start looking through the lens of creation, once you start appreciating the effort involved in manifesting all the little facets of the reality around you, your world will become a much more colorful place.

And you'll begin to appreciate this experience in a whole new way.

People who only judge things on the surface (a books cover for instance), or have pre bias from something they were taught while young, probably won't take the time to even read your post.

But I agree with you, even with modern tech showing us the existence of DNA, cell division and the magic of the womb, some will still insist this is the result of random occurrence.

Beauty is only skin deep, a saying that was regarded as shallow minded when I was young, has become a mantra.

Reduced to three letters, nowadays…


meh.

originally posted by: intrptr
People who only judge things on the surface (a books cover for instance), or have pre bias from something they were taught while young, probably won't take the time to even read your post.

Too true, the people who need it most won't get it.

But maybe someone else will check it out, and it'll remind them to stop and appreciate the wonders of nature (and those of mankind!) a little bit more throughout the day.

Here's hoping, right?

a reply to: Trachel
While you and I may disagree on the interpretaion of events, I agree on the creation of life.

But thats a personal opinion, and subject to personal perspectives, blah blah…

Who created the Creator?

Sounds more like a pander for the greater good public health and safety business.

As a "creator" as you put it... these things are a labor of love, of passion, of expression. Something we love to do... for doing it's sake. Sure it sounds like a self serving passion, and to such creators it is odd that some people just don't do this themselves... instead they want it for whatever reason, and we who are humble about it feel kinda ashamed to be put on a pedestal for it... now I don't speak for everyone but from my own direct experience? That's my motivation. I have shared some of my passions that were created via hobbies but not all of them.

I used to not see fault in any art but mine, you can see every small detail that isn't right as a creator of it and hone it and hone it until it looks right to you... not anyone else. when you start creating what you think the masses want is when your originality has worn out it's welcome and off too another trend when it becomes popular. It cheapens the whole process and makes it feel dirty to exploit such in the name of fame or greed, beyond making ends meet and to enjoy some leisure time, and not have to worry about money into old age... the range of this "comfortable" varies from tent in the woods to mansion looking over a city and all dreams of ease and peace and relaxation in between, if it meant being someone you are not to achieve this, then you are not happy not matter what you have, and it's better to either not share it, destroy it, or keep it if for some reason you become famous after you die, so your family can get by if so needed, or you burden them with your health issues as a contingency plan.

The whole process is an interesting one, and even though I know many points of view on this topic, that is how I personally see it from personal experience. I can't speak for everyone on this topic... and it's not my job too explain their rationale, for however it is they feel about it. They have voice enough to do that themselves... at least one would hope... and if not then someone to represent them so they do not get stepped on political parties do not represent everyone, there are many subcultures that have no voice through them... and when you're owned by corporate branding? You speak for them through your art and not for you... so your voice is bought out to serve their purposes and rationale instead of your own voice as a creator.

But that's how it is in most of the world and what the fame game mostly consists of. I don't hate anyone that takes that route, but it steps on the people that love whatever it is, and will still be in it and love it long after it isn't hip or cool anymore... the popularity gets recycled over and over in cycles cool or hip is now here or there and everyone stampedes towards it... some thinks this spot light brings legitimacy and others thinks it steals freedom to just be, to exist and create whatever when so inspired.

originally posted by: BigBrotherDarkness

As a "creator" as you put it... these things are a labor of love, of passion, of expression. Something we love to do... for doing it's sake. Sure it sounds like a self serving passion, and to such creators it is odd that some people just don't do this themselves... instead they want it for whatever reason, and we who are humble about it feel kinda ashamed to be put on a pedestal for it...

Agree--and well put!--creation is a labor of love, passion, and expression. And it should be done for sake of personal enjoyment alone.

And while I also believe it's important to stay personally humble about your own acts of creation, you shouldn't be ashamed if somebody else puts you on a pedestal for it.

Truthfully all creators deserve praise for taking full advantage of this opportunity to be alive, and credit for making something special with your time here on earth.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
Who created the Creator?

The Creator was before Creation, the only am, therefor was not Created.

originally posted by: Trachel

originally posted by: BigBrotherDarkness

As a "creator" as you put it... these things are a labor of love, of passion, of expression. Something we love to do... for doing it's sake. Sure it sounds like a self serving passion, and to such creators it is odd that some people just don't do this themselves... instead they want it for whatever reason, and we who are humble about it feel kinda ashamed to be put on a pedestal for it...

Agree--and well put!--creation is a labor of love, passion, and expression. And it should be done for sake of personal enjoyment alone.

And while I also believe it's important to stay personally humble about your own acts of creation, you shouldn't be ashamed if somebody else puts you on a pedestal for it.

Truthfully all creators deserve praise for taking full advantage of this opportunity to be alive, and credit for making something special with your time here on earth.

with enough practice anyone can accomplish the same thing... why displace the position of them, other than to worship them and change power structure or create reverence? "Power" can go three paths no matter the container... to absolute that destroys anything it doesn't like(extremism), to imbalance g.i.g.o. is still g.i.g.o. no matter the container, or grounded to balance and protect. This is life in all it's forms inside whatever container. part of my and your being is a slave right now, to me as I use it to power this machine and respond to your post... if I show it that I respect it being harnessed as that it is no different from me when I am gone in all it's forms... i will have no cause to return. Some get blinded by their containers that they are separate or better, and thus need to achieve some level of status for their container... to me this is silliness, jump the gap like a spark and experience something else. to continue learning. ground it all to return to the source. but know you're just a single spark already in a position of power and all those in your container work for you... so when it unbinds? you better hope they have good things to report... or its new container time, the prison is your choice by way of your actions.

a reply to: Trachel

This is good thinking. Though I'm not too keen on being told how I should think, feel and behave, some of the spiritual folk on these boards might appreciate it.

One criticizes another because he has seen the potential in human beings, and he knows they can do better, not because he wishes to destroy their work. Destroying too is an act of creation, and vice versa.

Creation, and the amount of effort put into a work is a sign of passion, nothing more. The same with destruction. It is a personal matter, it can be both joyful and painful— and although it might be appreciated, it dies with the person. What does matter to everyone and everything, including the creator or destroyer, is the result of this passion.

Thank you for writing.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Thanks for reading and contributing! Have a great day!

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Trachel

This is good thinking. Though I'm not too keen on being told how I should think, feel and behave, some of the spiritual folk on these boards might appreciate it.

One criticizes another because he has seen the potential in human beings, and he knows they can do better, not because he wishes to destroy their work. Destroying too is an act of creation, and vice versa.

Creation, and the amount of effort put into a work is a sign of passion, nothing more. The same with destruction. It is a personal matter, it can be both joyful and painful— and although it might be appreciated, it dies with the person. What does matter to everyone and everything, including the creator or destroyer, is the result of this passion.

Thank you for writing.

this denies that humanity has a history, especially one with repeating cycles, on micro and macro cosmic scales.

Riddle me this; when does objective, turn into subjective? I think you know the answer; so perhaps it was a test meant for Houdini.

book marking for a read later.
thanks