The Creative Force: A Response to a Dysfunctional World

“How do you respond to a dysfunctional world? Create. Create what starts a fire in your heart. Create the things your soul has been urging you to put out into the world, and that you didn’t think the earth was ready for. That’s the energy these times crave.”

This quote by Xavier Dagba came across my feed, and not only did I find it deeply resonant, it reminded me of a teaching I learned in a Kundalini Yoga class.

That lesson centered around the idea that we all have an

innate energy, a creative force, and if we don’t utilize or

expend it in a positive way, it finds another outlet that

winds up being destructive.

Now, this isn’t a commentary on society, or an analysis of

why we are living in a dysfunctional world (although

parallels abound.) This is about introspection, and truly living your dharma by using your creative power for the benefit of all.

By showing up fully, and sharing your interests, gifts and

talents, you bless those around you. And engaging in

these acts of creativity brings out our shared humanity: it

is the mirror that reflects who we are.

Look around. Political polarization. Ecological instability.

Institutional distrust. Collective nervous systems running

on overdrive. The ambient tone of our culture is agitation.

From a yogic lens, this is excess, unregulated energy.

In Kundalini Yoga, we understand that energy (prana)

must move. When it stagnates, it decays. When it is

suppressed, it mutates. But when it is consciously

directed, it becomes creativity, devotion, service, art,

leadership.

Creation vs. Destruction: One Current, Two Expressions

In yogic philosophy, creation and destruction are not

moral opposites; they are complementary functions of the

same force. Think of Shiva and Shakti—consciousness

and energy in dynamic interplay. Destruction clears form.

Creation reorganizes it. Both are necessary.

The practical teaching is:

If you do not consciously create, you will unconsciously destroy.

Energy unused in creative channels finds destructive

outlets—internally or externally.

The Question of Our Time

We are living in a moment of collective upheaval.

Old structures are destabilizing. Narratives are collapsing.

Certainties are dissolving. This is a destructive phase, but

destruction is not inherently negative. It is compost.

The question is: what are you building in its place?

Kundalini Yoga gives us tools to regulate the nervous

system through kriya, breathwork, and meditation. These

practices strengthen the frontal cortex’s capacity for

discernment and reduce the limbic system’s reactivity.

So, in plain terms, if we have a strong practice, we stop

leaking energy through emotional reactivity, and start

directing it with intention, knowing what is and is not

within our control or sphere of influence (see the last blog

“Controlling the Controllables” for more on this topic.)

The Fire in the Heart

The aforementioned quote speaks about creating what

starts a fire in your heart. You may know what that is

immediately, but if you don’t here are some questions to

ask yourself:

What did you enjoy doing as a child?

What are you curious about?

What would you do if time wasn’t a barrier?

Is there a project you have postponed because you feared

irrelevance or rejection?

Hopefully, this points you in the right direction.

As an artist, people tell me all the time how they aren’t

creative or artistic. It is a completely untrue perception.

People have just lost touch with what it means to be

creative. We are all inherently creative because it’s our

creativity that makes us human.

Art is everywhere. Life is an art. How you do things is an

art. You are naturally creating every day. You don’t have

to be an “artist” or make music or dance to be creative. It

can be literally anything you do that you are doing “your

way.”Making dinner, negotiating a business deal, running a

company, doodling, choosing outfits, and reading out loud

to your kids, are all examples of things that require

creativity.

My big ask is to find the thing that really lights you up,

and share it. You don’t even have to share it “with the

world.” Do it for your partner, your co-workers, on social

media, or even just for yourself.

I guarantee it will bring more joy into your life, and we all

could use that. You will also feel more empowered when

you are being intentional about how you are directing

your energy.

Conscious Creation as Spiritual Discipline

The word inspiration means “in spirit” which is what we are

connecting to when we practice. Kundalini Yoga, mantra and

meditation put us on the positive current so we are naturally

living in our inspiration. It strips away the subconscious

(destructive) thought patterns that keep us stuck

(and keep us from using our creativity.)

As Yogis, we don’t need to wait for inspiration. We can

generate it by moving prana deliberately.

The Energy These Times Crave

These times don’t need more commentary, fake content,

or disassociation. We need embodied creators. We need

regulated nervous systems. We need people willing to

transmute rage into structure, pain into beauty. People

who are willing to be seen, to take a chance, to show up

with the curiosity and wonder of their 7 year old self.

People who are brave enough, in the face of all the world’s

suffering, to choose to create an experience of joy. And that

experience of joy will inevitably have a ripple effect.

Imagine the world we could create if we all showed up as our

most creative and intentional selves. So if you feel restless,

don’t suppress it. If you feel grief, outrage, or pain, don’t scatter it.

Channel it. Get on your mat. Breathe until your mind steadies.

Connect to your source of inspiration.Then build the thing.

Creation is the medicine.