When we think of Creativity, art or craft we often think of creating something, producing something, adding something.

But that’s because we have a very limited idea or concept of what Creativity actually is. We label this form of creativity incorrectly.

If we take a moment to study other artistic fields we see that subtraction is an essential part of the creative process. In writing-craft we call this editing. In gardening-craft we call this pruning. In music and film we also call the art of subtraction “editing.”

We even use the word “Outtakes” to describe the discarded material.

And the crazy thing is, we actually feel just as good by performing these creative acts as we do in the production of something.

Let’s study other fields for a moment. Think about a garbage man or a cleaning lady or an exterminator. They literally make things beautiful by what they take away. Isn’t that incredible? We can see everything through the eyes of an artist if we study deep enough.

One more example if you don’t mind. I was recently doing some wood work and the craftsman that was helping me pointed out that you get the best stain or paint application by subtracting, by sanding and stripping away the unwanted material. Thank you master Craftsman, I truly appreciate your insights.

So my question to you is…what can you strip away to bring about the beauty of your physical practice or martial art?