There is an undercurrent of energy thrumming through the Universe. Like the wind or a whisper, we can sometimes hear it and often feel it. Most of the time, we sense this energy unconsciously without any tangible proof it is really there. Thoughts, emotions, and the life force in all living things are forms of this kind of energy. So are creativity, growth, and change. The impressions, images, and vague premonitions we get about people and situations are other examples of formless energy. When you enter a space and feel an "intangible tension" in the air that gives you a sense of foreboding in your gut, what you are likely experiencing is energy.
Energy cannot be destroyed, but it can be transformed or transferred from one person, thing, or source to another. Energy is a magnifier that can attract like energies while repelling disparate ones. Many of our reactions to people and circumstances are based on unconscious reactions to their energies. We may even intuitively tune into the energy of a situation we are facing when making a decision about how to proceed.
My Thoughts:
To me the feel of somewhere is the most important thing, especially when it comes to creativity.
I am a great believer in making sure a place has a good feel to it before I will conduct any workshops or creative events there. If I don’t get a good sense about somewhere then I know I am not going to be able to get the best out of myself, let alone others.
I recently attended a creative writing workshop as a participant, that was held in a lovely modern building, but the rooms were clinical and felt cold. The white washed walls and stark lighting didn’t help, neither did the new smell that came with it. The tables were practical, the chairs hard plastic and there were no blinds or shutters to soften the windows, there were also no decorations to the walls or pictures. Sterile rooms with no characteristic and no warmth. Although there was nothing technically to not like about the space, neither was there anything to connect to in a creative way. No one attending seemed particularly comfortable and despite the best efforts of the facilitators, there was nothing of any quality achieved.
Contrastingly, I was once part of an impromptu writing group that was camped out in an old library room that had not been used for years, and amidst the cobwebs, dusty bookshelves and ineffective lighting … a host of ideas constantly flowed.