I was born like this, I grew up like this, and I’m really like this, I’ll always be like this … Gabriela … Always Gabriela … (Jorge Amado). I invite you to read the so- called Gabriela Syndrome again! The challenge here is to bring back the “Gabriela” who left so soon… Worse than repeating a model is to make it worse before repeating it!!!

We are born “like this” (creative), but we don’t grow “like this”! Gradually, without realizing it, most of us lose our spontaneity, readiness, purity and the joy of childhood. Suddenly, the best of Gabriela no longer exists… How difficult it becomes to create!!!

We forget the art of being a child in our family, at school, at our company. Gradually, they teach us to cultivate normalcy, to have thoughts that please others. We start explaining everything rather than feeling. We lose our curiosity, our protagonism. We develop the culture of spectator: others have to do it.  We exchange our will to win for fear of losing. We don’t flow anymore. Adults, finally!!!

Creating again now needs to be each one’s decision. It is assuming the responsibility for the Creative Act, again! Someone has to do what needs to be done and this someone is me! This is a mobilizing attitude and can give us once again the possibility of Creating! Not everything is lost… We can deliberately rescue that cheerful and relaxed environment so essential to creation.

Restlessness, preparation, incubation flow into Enlightenment, an illuminated moment where we are flooded with insights, with possibilities! A time for receptivity. A time to welcome the new, before judging. This is the essential attention. It pays to be little children here, because children don’t sign baby ideas… All ideas are very welcome. Be generous in receiving. Open your mind, soul and heart. Believe that creating is necessary and worthwhile…

If you want a good idea, have a lot of ideas… (Thomas Edison). Enlightenment doesn’t mean that you will receive a complete and finished solution from your brain, or even that you will receive a unique and already validated idea! Enlightenment is the climax of the creative process and due to its intensity and relevance it is often confused with creativity itself. But it’s merely a step.

After the storm comes the flood… Once you have a large number of ideas at hand, you need to converge. It is necessary, in possession of your bunch of ideas, to move to the 5th and last step, which is Verification!!! More sweat in sight…