# States of Awareness: Living In The Grey Zones ⛅️ (Creative Act Part 2)  ## Intro [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=0s) - Throughout life, people often switch between being on autopilot and not paying attention to their behavior, or being highly observant and analytical, but there's a state in between where one can be present in the moment [(00:00:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=10s). - This in-between state allows individuals to focus on the present rather than worrying about the past or trying to solve future problems, and it represents their reality when faced with new situations [(00:00:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=18s). - When new situations arise, people can choose to lean towards one side or the other, or find a balance in between, rather than operating in a binary, black-and-white mindset [(00:00:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=25s). - Embracing the entire spectrum of awareness has been highly beneficial for mental health, helping to calm the mind, stop overthinking, and reduce worrying [(00:00:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=38s). - This approach can also help turn off the problem-solving brain and allow for a more calm and peaceful state of mind [(00:00:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=45s). ## Welcome [(00:00:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=50s) - The channel "Recalibrating" explores the concept of change over time, assessing creative actions, reducing burnout, and societal pressures to facilitate fluid creation, with the host, Callum, also known as Waterlot, sharing his personal experiences and thoughts [(00:00:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=53s). - As part of this experiment, Callum has been reading "The Creative Act" by [[Rick Rubin]] and recording himself daily to become more comfortable speaking to the camera, with the first two videos available in the "Recalibrating" playlist [(00:01:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=98s). - The current video series, "Recalibrating My Creative Act," aims to reassess what it means to be a creator and a knowledge worker, merging the logical and creative sides of the self [(00:02:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=126s). - Before starting the series, Callum visited [[Lake Ontario]] to relax and reflect on his initial struggles with speaking to the camera, realizing that he was trying to provide too much structure, which was the reason he quit his job as a lawyer [(00:02:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=150s). - Callum sought a more fluid and intuitive approach to life, wanting to pursue interests and experiences that felt valuable to him, and to create a path that was being structured as he walked on it [(00:03:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=180s). - While at the lake, Callum observed the waves and entered a mindful headspace, where he wasn't focused on specific waves but rather took in the experience, describing it as a state between noticing and not paying attention [(00:03:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=208s). - This state is harder to define, but it's a more fluid and relaxed experience, which Callum found relaxing, regulating, and restorative, and is also discussed in the third chapter of "The Creative Act" by Rick Rubin, titled "The Source of Creativity" [(00:04:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=256s). ## The Source of Creativity [(00:04:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=260s) - The source of creativity is external, coming from the outside, but it feels like it originates from the inside as ideas begin to coalesce and form from stored external information and experiences within the mind [(00:04:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=262s). - External experiences and information stored in the mind over time come together to spark an idea, which then links to another idea, creating a chain reaction of thought that leads to an epiphany [(00:04:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=294s). - The idea itself doesn't come from inside, but rather from noticing something external that kickstarts a reaction based on past experiences [(00:05:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=316s). - This process is paradoxical, as what feels like it's coming from the inside is actually coming from the outside, creating a loop where the outside impacts the inside, which was also formed by the outside [(00:05:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=330s). - This concept is similar to the [[Ouroboros]], the snake eating its own tail, where the beginning causes the end, which causes the beginning, and is a continuous cycle [(00:05:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=347s). - Humans tend to put things into boxes, preferring clear states and black-and-white distinctions, but life is actually a gradient, a continuum of gray between black and white [(00:05:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=357s). - Life is more about the states between and the journey, rather than the end state or destination [(00:06:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=372s). - Allowing oneself to be in the in-between state without expectations or focus on the destination can lead to a more relaxed and regulated state of being [(00:06:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=383s). - This concept is similar to observing waves, where the focus is not on individual waves, but on the overall pattern and collective formation of the waves [(00:06:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=405s). - The imagination has no limits, and the idea itself is not bound by internal constraints [(00:07:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=428s). ## The Idea is Infinite [(00:07:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=432s) - An idea is considered infinite as it can go in any direction without constraints, but constraints are introduced when trying to make the idea a reality by putting it into a box [(00:07:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=433s). - There's a balance between living in one's head, constantly coming up with ideas, and never executing on them, and taking those ideas and putting them into reality so others can experience them [(00:07:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=447s). - By converting ideas into reality, one can experience them through creation, taking something from the infinite bounds of imagination and putting it into a box that can be revisited at a future date [(00:07:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=467s). - This process of creation cements a moment, idea, or concept in time, leaving a trail for one's future self to follow and allowing oneself to pay attention to the journey as it's being experienced [(00:08:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=484s). - The focus is on being present in the moment, rather than just reaching the end destination and looking back, and this is achieved by capturing imagination and creating something out of it [(00:08:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=504s). - This process of creation is viewed as art, taking elements of experience, filtering them through imagination and mind, and creating something with a deeper resonance and connection [(00:08:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=520s). - The created work of art taps into something deeper and larger than oneself, bringing in outside experiences and drawing connections within one's own mind to an undefinable component of reality [(00:09:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=541s). ## The Way I Envision [(00:09:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=563s) - A powerful way to communicate with one's future self and others is through non-verbal means that don't require language, touching on the imagination and intuition of being human [(00:09:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=564s). - The imagination and art form itself can be sparked by external stimuli, creating a spiral that grows as one thinks about it, and at some point, a snapshot can be taken to capture the form of the idea at that moment [(00:09:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=582s). - This snapshot becomes a timestamped marker of one's experience, understanding, and worldview, which is constantly changing due to the paradox of seeing the world and being impacted by it [(00:10:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=610s). - The concept of awareness is crucial in this process, and it has been explored deeply through mindfulness practice, with over 600 sessions of listening to various instructors talk about mindfulness and its meaning [(00:10:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=647s). - Mindfulness practice helps individuals stay present, experience reality, and not get overwhelmed, with the goal of understanding what it means to be human and experience reality [(00:11:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=667s). - The loop of noticing things, processing what's been noticed, and changing one's worldview is a continuous cycle, as mentioned by Rick in chapter 4, highlighting the importance of awareness in this process [(00:10:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=641s). ## Awareness [(00:11:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=670s) - Awareness is the ability to be passively attentive without actively paying attention, allowing one to be aware of their surroundings and the information they receive through their senses, such as light, vibrations, and feelings, which ultimately shapes their reality [(00:11:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=684s). - This state of awareness can be described as a persistent non-effort, where one continuously allows themselves to notice things without intentionally doing so, and it's intentionally letting go of effort to take in information [(00:11:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=714s). - It's a paradoxical state where one has to let go entirely to grab on, and it's achieved by not paying attention in an effortful way, but rather by being in the moment and allowing the brain to recognize distractions without overthinking [(00:12:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=747s). - This state of awareness is the state between states, not being fully focused and not not paying attention at all, but rather being somewhat attentive to the signals the body is taking in without trying to identify them [(00:12:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=774s). - Mindfulness is operating with intentionality in life without letting that intentionality take away from experiencing life itself, and it's different from the autopilot mode that most people find themselves in on a day-to-day basis [(00:13:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=792s). - Humans tend to form habits and like structure, but over time, these systems can become a burden and prevent growth, causing people to go through the same loop over and over again [(00:13:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=808s). - Breaking out of this loop and allowing oneself to be in an interim state can help guide actions more through intuition than overthinking, which can be draining and cause burnout [(00:13:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=823s). - Rick's concept of coming to a state of persistent non-effort is relevant to this idea of awareness, and it's about continuously allowing oneself to notice things and be aware of their surroundings [(00:11:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=711s). ## Values [(00:14:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=845s) - The goal is to train the body to be in a state of persistent non-forced effort, allowing for a balance between effort and experience, and avoiding burnout by aligning actions with personal values [(00:14:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=845s). - Defining personal values can be difficult, but it comes with the practice of noticing how the world impacts one emotionally and cognitively, and mindfulness is the practice of allowing the body to come to terms with the experience of reality [(00:14:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=870s). - Mindfulness helps identify things that bring value and keep one aligned on that path without overthinking or forcing oneself to behave in a certain way [(00:14:56)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=896s). - Noticing is not directly paying attention to something, but rather being open to information coming in without directing attention to it, and it's a passive action that's not quite observing or studying [(00:15:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=911s). - Awareness is the primary perception, and noticing is the first thing that happens, allowing oneself to feel and respond intuitively to experiences [(00:15:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=953s). - After noticing, one can study, analyze, and deliberately direct attention to what they're trying to figure out, moving back to a more directed attention state [(00:16:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=971s). - Rick's advice to quiet the inside when trying to perceive the outside and quiet the outside when trying to perceive the inside is a valuable way to look at it, as there are moments in life where one wants to observe their internal state and moments where one wants to just experience life [(00:16:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=991s). - Being able to toggle back and forth between these two perceptions is a valuable skill, recognizing that one might be somewhere in between and allowing oneself to intuitively move to one side or the other based on the situation [(00:17:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1027s). - This reminds one of the quantum state in the quantum world, where electrons can be in both states at once, and there's an overall area where the electron could be, but at any given moment, its position and speed are uncertain [(00:17:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1048s). ## Quantum Computing [(00:18:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1088s) - In traditional computing, information can exist in one of two states: 0 or 1, and switching between these states is a binary process [(00:18:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1089s). - In contrast, quantum computing allows for a spectrum of states between 0 and 1, enabling information to exist in multiple states simultaneously until observed or calculated [(00:18:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1102s). - This concept can be applied to mindfulness, where individuals can train themselves to exist in a state of awareness that allows for flexibility and adaptability, rather than being limited to binary thinking [(00:18:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1123s). - By expanding awareness and practicing mindfulness, individuals can develop the ability to perceive reality from multiple perspectives and respond to situations in a more nuanced way [(00:19:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1148s). - This approach enables individuals to move beyond binary thinking and exist in a state of awareness that encompasses the entire spectrum of possibilities, rather than being limited to a single state or perspective [(00:19:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1145s). - Practicing noticing and paying attention to experiences and perceptions of reality is key to developing this awareness and achieving a more quantum-like state of mind [(00:19:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1152s). ## Expanding Awareness [(00:19:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1161s) - Our minds play a crucial role in shaping our reality, and expanding our awareness allows us to notice and perceive the world without acting or analyzing, thereby broadening our worldview [(00:19:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1163s). - The universe is limited by our perception of it, and by practicing and spending time each day to expand our awareness, we can train our bodies to respond to stimuli in a more intuitive way [(00:19:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1183s). - Expanding awareness enables us to take in information, notice situations, and process them in a way that's more in line with who we are, rather than reacting based on past experiences or external influences [(00:20:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1221s). - Creativity is rooted in deepening our perception of reality, but also involves the practice of not looking, or not actively thinking, and instead being present in the moment [(00:20:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1235s). - There's a state of being that's in between autopilot and active observation, characterized by a persistent, non-effortful presence, which allows us to be present now and not worry about the past or future [(00:21:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1264s). - This state of being present is also known as the default mode Network, a state that was developed throughout human evolution to allow our brains to process information while not actively thinking [(00:21:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1319s). - Practicing mindfulness and entering this state of being present can be beneficial for mental health, calming the mind, and reducing overthinking and worrying [(00:21:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1297s). - The default mode Network allows our brains to catalog information and respond more intuitively to situations, enabling us to take action without actively thinking [(00:22:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1341s). ## Conclusion [(00:22:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1350s) - The process of allowing the brain to process experiences and reflect on them has been enjoyable and has caused over an hour of introspection, with the current book being read resonating with past experiences and concepts looked into for a long time [(00:22:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1350s). - The book has provided a good way of expressing the creative mind and what it means to be a creative person, with past experiences being more focused on the logical side, including engineering, intellectual property law, and working as a patent agent [(00:23:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1381s). - Since quitting the job four months ago, the mind has been allowed to imagine and enter the infinite realm, which has been confusing but has added value to life, shifted the worldview, changed the perspective, and allowed recalibration of experiences [(00:23:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1400s). - Having a creative skill set and allowing oneself to tune into their own experience and creativity has been beneficial, and looking forward to continuing the book and seeing what Rick has to say [(00:23:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1439s). - Sharing the video with others and future self provides an opportunity to look back at where one has come from and see how far they've come, which is part of what humans love, seeing the development and growth of themselves [(00:24:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1451s). - Not taking a look back at where one came from and not reminding oneself of who they used to be and who they are now can lead to going in loops, and being able to see how far one has come is motivating and shows growth [(00:24:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1472s). - Traveling and hiking, especially, provide a sense of seeing how far one has come, and being able to see the growth and journey can be used to direct one's future self [(00:24:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1485s). - Taking a look at what one really enjoys doing, being more self-reflective and self-aware, and increasing awareness of what one likes and dislikes can help drop what one doesn't like and increase what one does like [(00:25:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1513s). - Training oneself to be in tune with their own intuition, being more creative, and allowing the creative self to take over when it feels right can help build towards the person one wants to be [(00:25:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1525s). - Returning to experiences that one really loves, such as hiking, traveling, photography, reading, and being in a flow state, can help one feel more alive and allow them to just experience what's happening right now [(00:25:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1543s). - Being in a flow state, also known as an autotelic experience, is doing something for the sake of doing it, with intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic motivation, and allowing oneself to dictate how they want to be and guide their steps [(00:26:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1577s). - Continuing the book and seeing what else Rick has to say, and receiving feedback from others, can help improve the channel and one's own life [(00:26:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4YcZdXQP4&t=1602s).