My Sudden Genius Story:
As 2020 begins in Japan, I can celebrate just over six years since I first started living with the sudden genius moniker.
When I look back on what happened and the consequences for my own life, I can say without any doubt that the blossoming of sudden genius, unexplainable as it might be, is a truly positive experience that has given the deepest delight.
What’s more, if sudden genius is innate within, awaiting just the right trigger to set it off, then surely it behooves us to find out as much as we can about this phenomenon because it matters to each and every one of us.
If sudden genius is something that we can all look forward to as we age, why not learn as much as we can about this mysterious shift in the brain that can so enrich our lives?
How My Sudden Genius Paintings Began:
1. There was an overwhelming compulsion to paint. It was impossible to ignore, and it had to be accepted at once.
2. Despite a total lack of know-how there was a deep confidence that somehow, not knowing anything about painting did not matter. I was aware that I already knew what I needed to know, yet this calm certainty cannot be explained.
3. Painting erupted as an outpouring of joy and delight and a sureness in what I was doing. Every fiber of my being was involved and integrated all-of-a-piece.
4. There was clarity about the beginning and the end of each painting. Although each painting was begun without any preconceived image or plan it evolved without hesitation as the paint was applied to the canvas. I always know when the paint movement is completed and I never touch the painting again.
5. Within me there is a rush of creative energy that is exhilarating but not at all frightening. Rather, it feels entirely natural – an integral part of me.
6. With the outpouring of paintings there was an initial aftermath of some bewilderment. How was I going to explain this? Who on earth would believe my story? This slight hesitation never interfered with the flow of paintings, however.
How My Sudden Genius Music Began:
1. Three months after my sudden genius painting blossomed I felt an overwhelming need to play the piano, although there was no piano in the house, and never has been, all my life. I have since wondered about this – why the piano and not some other instrument? I have no answer. But the compulsion to play the piano suddenly erupted and could not be ignored.
2. Not knowing anything about pianos, I had to do some research. I knew that conventional pianos need to be tuned. Since I was concerned about the humidity in this ancient Japanese kominka, I decided that a full keyboard digital piano would be just fine and that’s what I installed.
3. There was a fleeting moment of panic when I first sat down at the piano and did not understand what anything was. But the compulsion to put my hands on the keyboard was so strong. As soon as I touched the keys, both hands began moving. And the melodies poured out through my fingers.
4. I found I needed to become more tech-savvy. The first piece I ever played is lost forever – I learned that once a melody is played I can never play it again. After my second piece was recorded imperfectly I began using a flash drive to record whenever I sat at the piano. All my melodies are recorded as they happen, as they express through my hands.
5. I was surprised to find myself becoming quite cunning about handling the need to play. Knowing that I must record each and every time, I often delayed the need to sit down at the piano. Without a flash drive, I reason, there is no point. The result is that I have lost many pieces of music because the compulsion to play continues regardless and I have had to sit down and move my hands whether or not the flash drive is installed. I have also wondered about this. Is the logical part of my brain trying to impose order on such a mysterious process?
5. My melodies feel entirely natural, almost as if I am playing me. Like my paintings, my music is integrated and all-of-a-piece and an upwelling of joy and confidence.
Why Sudden Genius Matters:
1. If I can suddenly blossom as a sudden genius then maybe sudden genius is innate in everyone, awaiting just the right moment to blossom. The question we should be asking is: Does everyone have sudden genius within?
2. If sudden genius can suddenly blossom in the later part of life does this not give new meaning to the process of growing older, a new way of looking forward?
3. Is sudden genius a way for the brain to compensate as cells age? Perhaps neural pathways grow rigid over a lifetime of repeated patterns. As those patterns weaken, sudden genius might herald a release into renewed flexibility.
4. Does sudden genius tap into a hidden store of creative energy? If so, it opens a doorway into a life of enormous creativity.
5. Is sudden genius carried in the cells as a genetic potential you can harness to express latent talents and abilities? If so, how do you harness this potential?
6. If the brain can suddenly explode in sudden genius this says a great deal about the power of the brain. Surely we need to learn as much as we can about how to tap into this brain power to live more fulfilling lives.
7. Sudden genius shows us that there is so much more in us than we know. An affirmation that we are creative, that we are capable, that we have the positive power to express.
8. If sudden genius is indeed related to the way the brain ages this is something we must research more. It is an important journey of discovery for all humankind.
9. Given that sudden genius is possible, do we need to redefine old age? Yes, our physical bodies are winding down, and many parts of our brain, too. But sudden genius shows that the brain can shift in new and mysterious ways. There is great hope and excitement in this.
10. Sudden genius offers proof that the brain can suddenly light up – be switched on, as it were. We need to be examining how and why this happens, and the ways we can encourage it.
11. Sudden genius alters our perception of aging and makes growing older a phase in our lives to be embraced with joyful courage.
Sudden Genius Pros:
1. Sudden genius expresses in a wave of incredible joy and confidence. With my sudden genius paintings and music I know what I need to do and how to do it.
2. Sudden genius results in wonderful creations of great beauty and power. They move the heart and mind.
3. Sudden genius creations are life-affirming. They are the polar opposite of cynicism and the jaded view of life so often seen as sophistication.
4. Sudden genius is healthy. I feel so alive in such a positive way – my senses feel connected to and grounded in, the rhythms of life.
5. Sudden genius is inspiring. I feel deeply moved to flow with this creative power erupting within.
6. Sudden genius is creative. I am bringing into existence something that has never existed before. My creations and I are creating a new being.
Sudden Genius Cons:
1. Sudden genius is almost impossible to explain given our current knowledge of how the brain works.
2. Sudden genius does not seem believable to others around you. I struggled with how to tell my story because I sensed it was unacceptable. I still struggle today.
3. Sudden genius can be quite demanding. I am often overwhelmed by the compulsion to paint or play spontaneous music, which means schedules need to be overturned.
4. Sudden genius can be isolating. It is viewed with deep skepticism by people unfamiliar with the experience.
Sudden Genius Conclusions:
Despite the cons, the sudden and unexpected blossoming of sudden genius is an astonishing phenomenon to be welcomed and celebrated.
Sudden genius is the awakening of an unknown part of the brain – a switching on of incredible light and creative potential.
Instead of doubting or belittling we should focus instead on exploring what triggers such switching on.
Sudden genius might well be a shift in the brain that occurs later in life.
If so, we need to learn as much as we can about encouraging such shifts so that we can all look forward to our own sudden genius with hope and anticipation.
So, here’s to sudden genius in 2020!
This is something new that I want to read more about.
Thanks for dropping by. I’ll be writing more about sudden genius, so look forward to seeing you here again.