Collective Creativity and the Drum Circle

Artists who take up drumming might find that they are in for a treat. Drum circles have become an international phenomenon for many reasons, one of which is their ability to tap into the creative spirit residing within all of us. Drum circles often bring together a wide variety of people, helping them feel connected in ways they may have overlooked outside of the circle. For this reason, drum circles have a reputation for expanding the consciousness of participants and bringing forth personality aspects that may have lain dormant for a while.

In terms of inspiration, little surpasses creativity within a drum circle. When many come together with the purpose of drumming as one, individual minds give way to the collective mind. Many artists, no matter the type, would say that this group mindset or greater consciousness is where their ideas come from in the first place. Drum circles act as a sort of gathered heartbeat, where the energy pulses to the vibration of something larger than those present. When that heartbeat is heard and felt by the drummers, a type of magic is aroused. Through that magic comes a creative spirit that surpasses anything each individual has brought to the circle.

One of the great things about this creative spirit is that once it is felt, it tends to stick around for a while. Artists of all kinds may leave the collective creativity and the drum circle with new ideas and plenty of motivation to carry them out. In fact, many artists find that the stimulation they acquire from drum circles takes them into realms they may have never considered. It’s almost like a spiritual awakening in some cases.

A powerful aspect of drum circles is that they unite in a way that surpasses what most modern people think of as unity. For many of us, unity is a concept that we equate with being on the same team or working toward a common goal. Most of us are unfamiliar with participating in something that transcends the ideas of goals and teams. True unity is about union or joining together as one, something most of us aren’t even aware we are missing in our lives. We may think we understand the concept until we allow ourselves to fall under the spell of collective creativity and the drum circle way of bringing it about.

To be one is fine and good, but to join with many as one is something that sparks parts of us we may not remember exist. Drum circles help us remember. Drum circles remind us all that we may have these separate bodies, but we share a single spirit. This is the spirit most artists touch when they work, which makes drum circles a natural fit for any artistic soul.