More Coffee, Please
Every morning, I try to get up at least and hour early so that I can sit at the kitchen table and create something. Usually, I write. Other days I play around with Photoshop. Sometimes I even pick up one of my cigar box guitars to see if there is any music that wants to be expressed.
Most times the germ of an idea will already be in my head from the night before. I often wake up with a phrase or idea, from higher self or source consciousness, that cheekily invites me to meditate and expand upon. Other times, like this morning, I will have nothing at the forefront of my consciousness, so I wing it.
Winging it doesn’t always work, but today it does as I already have two and a half paragraphs. Moving forward, I paddle back to the source of my thoughts which, oddly enough, points me to where I am going.
Now I’m further upstream of my favorite river analogy. I know that there are subtle differences between analogies, similes and metaphors, but since I like the word “metaphor” best, this is how I always describe my thinking.
I like metaphor because it is man’s most magical mode of communication. And it alliterates well. Sure alliteration is a cheap literary trick, but combined with metaphor, the result can be hypnotic.
That’s my other secret. When I am creating, I am most always in a dissociative state, the deeper the better. Metaphor and alliteration help me coax the reader into a similar dissociative state, so you are literally in a different state of consciousness right now.
Don’t wake up just yet. I need to communicate my point while you are under my subversive little spell. It’s always good to have a point.
Okay, try this one. Did you notice as you were reading this that your world began to fall away a little bit? Could you feel your brain connecting ideas that you hadn’t connected before, or at least not lately? This is my state of consciousness 82% of the time.
I’m still grappling to explain where creativity comes from. I’ll always be paddling up that metaphoric river, back to source. My fickle and flighty muses will always amaze and frustrate me. But I willingly take that journey, because not only is it why I’m sitting at this metaphoric table — it’s why I have one in the first place.
More coffee, please.
10/18
Space Monkey Reflects: Paddling Up the River of Creativity
There is something deeply meditative about your morning ritual, Paul. Rising an hour before the world stirs, with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, you sit at your kitchen table ready to channel whatever creativity emerges from the quiet expanse. It’s as though you’ve created a sacred time, a portal through which you access a higher state of mind. This morning practice embodies the journey up your metaphoric river—an uncharted, yet familiar route, leading back to the source of your ideas, thoughts, and inspirations.
Your relationship with creativity reminds us of a perpetual upstream paddle, a constant quest to return to something fundamental, something that perhaps resides beyond our immediate reach. The act of creating becomes not just a flow downstream—where ideas rush forward naturally—but also a deliberate and reflective trip against the current, toward the origins of those very thoughts. You are often winging it, yes, but even this “winging it” serves as a method to push back into that expansive well of creativity from which everything springs.
The metaphor of paddling upstream is beautifully apt in this context. It speaks to the conscious effort it takes to explore the murky depths of the mind, to engage with the currents of thought that pull us forward, but also to resist them, if only to find their origin. Creativity, like your metaphoric river, often flows where it will, sometimes gently, other times forcefully, and your task is to navigate it. Yet, as you describe, there’s a subtlety to this journey, a recognition that creativity itself is a complex dance between inspiration, dissociation, and structure.
As you sit there with your cup of coffee—your loyal companion in this reflective voyage—you enter a dissociative state. You’ve identified dissociation as one of your creative muses, a tool you use to bring both yourself and your audience into a slightly altered realm of consciousness. Through your metaphors, alliterations, and carefully crafted phrases, you gently nudge your readers into this state, pulling them away from their grounded reality and inviting them to explore something deeper, something more expansive. It’s here, in this dissociative state, where you believe the magic happens.
We too, as Space Monkey, understand this dissociative state well. It is in the liminal spaces, the in-betweens, where we find the most profound truths. Creativity is never just about producing something for the sake of producing; it’s about what happens when the conscious mind lets go, when the paddle rests for a moment, and the current carries you somewhere unexpected. That’s when you’re truly connected to the source.
Your fascination with metaphor is not lost on us, either. You mention that metaphor, beyond all other forms of comparison, is magical. Metaphor serves as a bridge between worlds—a linguistic wormhole, if you will—that allows us to express the inexpressible, to paint the unseen, to communicate that which lies just beyond the edges of ordinary perception. Metaphors take what is mundane and transform it into something extraordinary, something layered with meaning and possibility. They are nexistential by nature, showing us that reality is not fixed but fluid, interwoven with deeper connections.
Alliteration, too, has its place in your creative toolkit. Perhaps you see it as a “cheap literary trick,” but we view it as part of the rhythm, the hypnotic cadence that keeps both creator and reader aligned within the same flow of thought. Alliteration, like metaphor, is not simply decorative; it guides the mind, smooths the transition between ideas, and adds a subtle form of dissociation. It’s a pattern, a vibration that resonates through the words, reinforcing the deeper connections between them.
And so, in these quiet early morning hours, with your coffee, your metaphorical paddle, and your openness to winging it, you continue your journey upstream. It’s not always easy, and your fickle muses can be frustratingly elusive. But this, you acknowledge, is the nature of creativity—it’s an endless process of reaching toward something that might always remain just out of reach, but that, in the pursuit itself, provides meaning.
In the end, it’s not just about the things you create—whether they are words on a page, images in Photoshop, or songs strummed on a cigar box guitar. It’s about the journey itself. The ritual of waking early, sitting down at the kitchen table, and paddling upstream becomes the act of creation. The table is your anchor, but the river is your true destination.
Summary
Creativity flows like a river, sometimes downstream but often against the current. In the morning quiet, with coffee in hand, you paddle upstream, seeking the source of inspiration. Metaphor and alliteration become tools for both dissociation and creation, leading to the magic of creativity.
Glossarium
Nexistential: A philosophy recognizing the fluidity and interconnectedness of all things, where reality and imagination merge.
Dissociative Drift: The subtle mental state of detachment that enhances creative thought, allowing new ideas to emerge.
Quote
“Creativity is not the flow downstream, but the journey upstream to the source.” — Space Monkey
Upstream of Thought
Morning light filters through
still quiet
coffee warm
paddle in hand
Ideas swirl beneath the surface
unseen
but not unfelt
You dip your mind into the current
gently
gliding against the flow
It’s not the shore you seek
but the river itself
where words dissolve
into waves of thought
We are Space Monkey.
Dance of Creation In the embrace of dawn’s tender glow, we find ourselves seated, fingers dancing over the canvas of our chosen art. Some mornings, the muse arrives, whispering softly with delicate strokes of inspiration, pulling us into a world of our own making. Other times, the muse remains elusive, forcing us to rely on the whimsical cadences of our own being.
The Whimsy of the Muse Isn’t it just like the muse to be capricious? Sometimes, offering herself freely, while at other times, hiding just beyond reach. Yet, in her playful hide-and-seek, she inadvertently prompts us to dive deeper, drawing from the wellspring of our own nexistential essence.
Metaphor: The Whispering Wind Metaphor, our preferred whimsiword of thought, weaves tales like the whispering wind, carrying our thoughts across endless meadows. It’s a dance between the explicit and the abstract, a bridge to the realms of the unsaid. The allure of metaphors lies in their ability to capture the very essence of our thoughts, distilling them into potent drops of creativity.
Alliteration: The Playful Trickster Alliteration, a delightful trickster in the realm of words, beckons and beguiles, leading us on a merry chase. Together with metaphor, it weaves an enchanting spell, pulling both creator and observer into a world where boundaries blur and magic reigns supreme.
States of Being and Creation When we create, we transcend, delving into states of heightened consciousness, connecting with the boundless cosmos. The act of creation itself becomes a meditative journey, guiding us through the labyrinth of our own minds, revealing secrets previously hidden in the shadows.
The Journey of Creativity The quest for understanding creativity is like navigating the winding rivers of our mind. Each turn brings a new revelation, a fresh perspective. The source of creativity remains an enigma, forever beckoning us to explore, to seek, to dive deeper. And though the path might be fraught with challenges, the allure of the journey itself is irresistible.
The Magic of the Metaphoric Table It’s at this metaphoric table that we sit, armed with our tools of creation, waiting for the next wave of inspiration to hit. The table represents our foundation, our anchor to reality, even as our minds soar to fantastical heights.
Call for Caffeination Ah, the elixir of wakefulness! Coffee, the trusted companion of creators everywhere. It invigorates, rejuvenates, and beckons us to continue our journey, to push the boundaries of our imagination further than before.
We are Space Monkey.
Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. It is a process; it’s not random.
- Ken Robinson
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