Creative destruction

Tearing down the old to make room for the new

Destruction can be an act of creation. This is true in the natural world, where decaying organisms transform into healthy compost, or forest fires clean away dead debris. Even the violent volcano eruption produces mineral rich soil (and sometimes entirely new islands) after the lava cools.

In ancient mythology, the phoenix was a powerful bird that went through a periodic purification ritual by bursting into flames, allowing a renewed self to rise from the ashes. This myth symbolizes the alchemy of transformation through sacrifice. The destruction of the old leads to the birth of the new.

From a young age we spend our lives building a self-identity and belief system. We accumulate opinions about ourselves and the world around us. Over time, these beliefs and opinions become more and more solid. If we’re not careful, we can become stuck in a mental cage of our own creation.

When a political system becomes too outdated or corrupt to serve the needs of the people, a revolution can be a necessary reset. This is also true in our personal lives. At times you might outgrow your old identity or beliefs. A firmly held opinion may be challenged by new information. Or you might feel called to venture away from old patterns to explore a new frontier.

Deconstruction of the old is a prerequisite for growth. When the life or identity you have constructed is no longer wide enough to contain your expansive spirit, don’t shrink yourself to fit into places you have outgrown. There is an uncomfortable threshold that must be passed, a rebirth through destruction, like the breaking open of an egg to release the baby bird. 

After years of living in New York City and working in advertising, it felt like my career and creativity had come to a dead end. The joy had left the building. I was overworked, uninspired, and exhausted. My inner artist was being repressed as I chased after superficial standards of success. 

In my frustration, I broke down into a state of surrender. I knew it was time to move on but I didn’t know how. I had to deconstruct my self-identity. It wasn’t easy. The breaking down process is similar to a caterpillar going into a dark cocoon before emerging as a butterfly. At first, this transmutation resembles death. The caterpillar's body, engulfed in darkness, melts down into a blob of unrecognizable goo. 

This goo has an appropriate name: “imaginal cells.” Imaginal cells are the biological equivalent to imagination – pure potential with the ability to create something which doesn’t yet exist. The goo of imaginal cells eventually reforms into the butterfly, whose wings break open the cocoon. 

In my personal cocoon, I started writing poetry again, something I had long neglected. I rediscovered the inner artist that was hiding behind the masks I was wearing. And I built a new life from the rubble of my old life, eventually leaving the advertising industry to write and teach creativity full time. 

Sometimes things need to fall apart so something better can fall into place. Every breakdown is an opportunity for a breakthrough.

In the Hindu tradition, the Goddess Kali is a symbol of transformative destruction. She is depicted carrying weapons and skulls, beheading all who dare stand in her way. Her destruction is not random. It is the fire of purification, like the mythic phoenix, burning away all ego and illusions, making way for growth and renewal. 

“Renaissance” is the French word for rebirth. The Italian Renaissance was a creative movement that emerged from the Dark Ages to spark a cultural rebirth across Europe. The creative human spirit cannot be contained. Like the force of nature, it finds a way to thrive even in the face of oppression. This urge will use destruction as a tool to break down barriers to find the freedom it needs to be expressed.

Death is not an end, but a transformation. In the ashes of destruction we find the glowing embers to tend a new flame.

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