creative project

[shefa]

I was asked to take the lead in a creative project, and I agreed without gathering too much information. Now I am already learning about egos and conflict, and I am not too excited about this pro bono opportunity. I asked Yi what is the best approach for me to take with this project, and received 39 unchanging. That didn't seem like an answer as much as a diagnosis of what I'm already experiencing. So I asked two more direct questions: What if I leave the project? 40 unchanging. What if I move forward with the project? 16 unchanging, What do you all think of this?

 

[rosada]

THE JUDGEMENT tends to discribe the situation and THE IMAGE tells what to do about it.
So in receiving 39 in responce to your question, "What is the best approach fo me to take with this project?" the I Ching is telling you this is a situation where you are being confronted with obstacles that cannot be overcome directly. In such a situation it is wise to pause in view of the danger and to retreat. However this is merely a preparation for overcoming the obstacles. 39 says "It furthers one to see the great man." Are there friends of like mind you could join forces with or is there a superior whose influence would somehow help in removing the obstacles? The point is there seems to be a need to persevere just when you must apparently do something that leads you away from the goal. The good news is "Perseverance brings good fortune." Your unswerving inner purpose will bring good fortune in the end.

Meanwhile THE IMAGE advises:

The superior man turns his attention to himself and molds his character.

An obstruction that lasts only for a time is useful for self development. This is the value of adversity. Difficulties and obstructions throw a man back upon himself. While the inferior man seeks to put the blame on other persons, bewailing his fate, the superior man seeks the error within hinself, and through this introspection the external obstacle becomes for him an occasion fro inner enrichment and education.
---
I have copied the above almost word for word from Wilhelm, so now this is me talking. I think this hexagram is advising you not to give up. As you say, you have only just taken on the project so perhaps as you stay with it for a bit the conflicts that arose under the old leadership will dissolve as your inner vision starts to infiltrate and reorganize the troops. This hexagram seems to particularly advise strengthen your bonds with those involved who do see things your way.

If you leave the project 40 seems to be telling you HOW to leave. That is, to do it quickly and don't blame anybody for luring you into this unsatisfactory situation. Just bow out politely and move on. It may even be that your refusal to continue with the thing as it is will be a wakeup call to those involved to get thier act together and thus you will have served a purpose in helping the project move ahead.

16 in one of the most fabulous hexagrams, really the perfect one for discribing a very successful outcome to a creative endeavor. First it tells us the situation requires ENTHUSIASM then it urges you to delegate tasks and get things going. Find out what people are good at and want to do and get them doing it. Think of your team as an orchestra and you are the conductor. If you can get all these players coming in on cue you will "make music and offer it with splendor to the Supreme Diety, inviting their ancestors to be present"!

Good luck! Let us know!

p.s. It occurs to me that 16. Enthusiasm could imply that you will need to feel a natural enthusiasm for the project to be inspired and to succeed - the money alone might not be worth the effort.

 

[Trojina]

I was asked to take the lead in a creative project, and I agreed without gathering too much information. Now I am already learning about egos and conflict, and I am not too excited about this pro bono opportunity. I asked Yi what is the best approach for me to take with this project, and received 39 unchanging. That didn't seem like an answer as much as a diagnosis of what I'm already experiencing. So I asked two more direct questions: What if I leave the project? 40 unchanging. What if I move forward with the project? 16 unchanging, What do you all think of this?

I think this is a pretty much "do as you want" answer. Things are exactly as they seem to you, you are in possession of a clear view of the whole situation. Hmm so its a situation with difficulties,39, (you know that), if you ditch it you'll likley feel a sense of relief, (40) as the difficulties won't be there, and if you continue with it then you'll simply be furthering creative potential of the whole thing (hopefully). Well I say hopefully because 16, doesn't i think promise fruition of anything, it is merely the expectation, getting ready, preparing. On the one hand this can be alot of useful energising enthusiasm, on the other hand it can be alot of fuss and and false enthusiasm over nothing. So I think the answer is pretty much you decide on the facts and experience you have right now. The absence of changing lines makes me think theres no hidden twists and turns in the situation, it is as it is and you know exactly how it is. Having said that, (and contradicting myself here ) 16 along with false enthusiasm can also mean the deception of glamour, sometimes even trickery. Was it the case that when you agreed to take the project on it appeared to you to be something quite alluring and now you find the stars have fallen from your eyes so to speak (reckon I'm mixing some metaphors here uch: ). Hex 40 says if you need to do something then do it, if not return to normal conditions. It indicates relief from tension. I guess if you feel very tense about the whole thing 40 looks pretty attractive as an answer to the question re if you leave. As I said hex 16 doesn't promise any solid accomplishment, maybe alot more activity but no guarantee as to where that leads, all a bit up in the air. If the project is worth alot to you that effort might be worth it - thats up to you

Its interesting you had unchanging hexagrams for all three questions. People differ how they would see that, some might say its all pretty much out of your hands - maybe the project will fizzle out by itself. Overall though my feeling on this is you are best doing as you want - 39 unchanging doesn't look that hopeful to me for you finding the way forward with this project , at least not on your own.

 

[rosada]

I like your conclusion, trojan, that these hexagrams all add up to a feeling of "Do what you want." Makes me think 16. Enthusiasm is saying if she is going to stay and be successful it will be because she has a real Enthusiasm for the project. I'm curious how you get that 16 doesn't promise the fruition of anything. I mean, it reads like a pretty grand culmination of a dream come true to me. Are you saying that because of something else in the hexagram itself (hmm..just noticed the nuclear trigrams create 62, the necessity to take care of details. Perhaps that points to what is needed to bring the celebration about.) or because Enthusiasm without change lines suggests a whole lot of excitement but doesn't tell if this enthusiasm is well grounded? Or maybe you've had an experience with the hexagram that dampened your enthusiasm? Just trying to get a conversation going here on a quiet Sunday morning...

 

[Trojina]

I see 16 as about making ready, projecting mentally into the future about what could what might be. This can be a joyful preparing of something, inspiration and enthusiasm about something that is coming to fruition yes,but it can equally refer to a state of mind thats looking forward, making plans all based on nothing much at all except alot of wishing, hence the danger of illusion and trickery. 16 is the hexagram of building castles in the sky. Sometimes the castles get to be real, sometimes they don't it all depends. But I don't see 16 as a culmination of anything at all, its a dream, but not a dream come true. Like you said 16 unchanging is a whole lot of enthusiasm
but it doesn't say that the enthusiasm is well grounded. Nothing is concrete yet. In the beginning of a project inspiration is necessary to get it off the ground at all but it also refers to times where people just get carried away with the joy of their own fantasy projections.

 

[rosada]

" The joy of their own fantasy projections! " Ooh, I like that! The purpose of music IS to create joyful fantasy projections!!!

But is joyful enthusiasm enough in this situation? It's useful for getting ARMIES marching, but will enthusiasm attract an army? Will her enthusiasm be enough to distract her co-workers from their individual egotistical viewpoints long enough to inspire them with her vision? Hmm..sheba, I'm thinking maybe you would get value from writing down your original vision, that is, just a statement like, "I am visualizing getting blah blah completed by such and such a date with a profit of so much." And then ask the I Ching to tell you how to manefest it. ( would 16. mean "In your wildest fantasies"?)

Thanks! I was timid to ask because I was afraid to appear argumentative, and look, I got a clear and useful responce!

 

[shefa]

Thank you both for the wonderful discussion. Having slept on this situation I agree that the answer of 40 really is the most attractive here. If I get out now, it will release my tension. And I have decided that is what I want to do.

When I received the 16 I recall being surprised. It didn't seem to fit my sense of what it would be like going forward at all. That answer is the one that gave me pause, otherwise I was ready to quit yesterday. If I did go forward with the project, I would be in the role of orchestrating others and I suppose this COULD end up being a good situation. (I remember reading some translation of 16 once that said it was "an enthusiastic situation that doesn't feel very enthusiastic.") I also believe it would take tremendous effort to turn out well, and that's more effort than I am willing to make with this project. I personally do not have the enthusiasm that's needed here.

I do not have enough experience to form an opinion and the lack of changing hexagrams. I would guess this relates to the situation being pretty straight forward, without alot of variables. Perhaps it also suggests a lack of energy in the situation. Thank you all for the discussion.

 

[willowfox]

what is the best approach for me to take with this project, and received 39 unchanging.

This suggests accept the fact that you don't know what or how to handle the project, so you need help.

What if I leave the project? 40 This just says that you can now go ahead with the project because if some have already consulted someone in Hex 39 then Hex 40 says that the problem will be finally resolved and you can go on with it.

What if I move forward with the project? 16 unchanging, After doing your homework you will be able to proceed with the project.

 

[shefa]

Well, I told them I couldn't do the project ... and although my tension has been released, and I now feel that I have walked away from a valuable opportunity. Walking away has somehow given me the insight I was lacking before - about what was really bothering me - and I now see that it's stuff I could work through, if I choose. I know I seem scattered and flighty (and that's how I feel!) but I just asked, what if I let them know what's really going on with me, and tell them I'm willing to go forward? I got 25 unchanging. Your thoughts?

 

[rosada]

Ah, Sheba, it's been a rollar coaster ride for you lately, hunh? Well, I don't think it's too late to let the higher ups know your thinking. After all, it's only been a day or two and most likely they are not looking forward to the process of finding a replacement.

It's interesting to note the sequence leading up to 25.

21. Biting Through.
The kings of former times made firm the laws through carefully defined penalties.
So you look at the project and think, "Okay, here's what's required, here's the time limits."

22. Grace
Thus does the superior man proceed when clearing up current affairs, but he dare not decide controversial issues this way.
So you actually get into it and think, "Oops, there's more controversy going on here than I was aware of."

23. Splitting apart
Those above can ensure their position only by giving generously to those below.
Geez, this sounds like you chased up a tree and throwing acorns to the ground trying to keep the bears from eating you. Stress-o-mighty!

24. Return (The Turning Point)
The kings of antiquity closed the passes at the time of solstice. Merchants and strangers did not go about, and the ruler did not travel through the provinces.

So you said, "Hey wait a minute, I'm shutting down this whole project and I'm just going to chill for awhile." And lo and behold, it worked! You've come up with a new insight that will allow you to return.

This brings us to where we are now. You've thought it through and now you see a way
things could work. So the question is will the higher ups be sympathetic if you tell them all this?

25. Innocence (the unexpected)
First, the JUDGEMENT says
Innocence. Supreme success.
If someone is not as he should be,
He has misfortune,
And it does not further him to undertake anything.

This says your decision to bow out at the time was a good one. At that time you truly did not see how you could make the project a success so you knew the responcible thing to do was not to go forward.

Seems to me your angle in approaching the higher ups should emphasize that now you have a new perspective that can make the situation doable. Will they approve?
The IMAGE for INNOCENCE says
All things attain the natural state of innocence.
Thus the kings of old,
Rich in virtue, and in harmony with the time,
fostered and nourished all beings.

That's says to me that the higher ups will recognize that you had to think it through and because they have had similar experiences of their own, they will want to encourage you.

Innocence does include the warning of "The Unexpected". This leads me to think that possibly in the time between you giving notice and returning, the higher ups may have been doing some rethinking themselves. So you may find they have reconsidered the project entirely or already decided to put someone else in. But even so, 25. Innocence suggests you will get a sympathetic ear to your offer to come back.

 

[Trojina]

I wonder what happened and what the final decision was

 

[shefa]

A roller coaster, yes indeed. Thank you Rosada for walking me through the sequence. So far I have made no decision other than doing nothing. I wanted to pause from the Yi and see what arose inside of me. I am not feeling pulled back into the project. I am feeling some regret for pulling out, but I notice that is different than wanting to go back. That's where I am right now. More when I know more.