Summer's nearly over and slowly cooling but Fall changes are heating up. Changes, changes, changes, I hope all yours go smoothly. I am out in the field for a few months preparing for another round of research with much to do. This relocation comes with many thoughts to stimulate this writing so I'll charge right into them.

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM

The thunder of their hoofs is gone now. The squalls of dust raised by charging herds have long since settled deep into the verdant rolling valleys of this prairie panorama. Here, huge hordes once stretched the horizons with their sprawl, and created the cadence of the tall grass prairie. Here the rhythmic migration of the Buffalo sustained the circle of life. They disappeared long before I perched upon this hilltop but in

my minds eye, I can still see them.

For the next few months I am back in the heartland, home where my roots run deep like the native grasses. Here in central Kansas, the Great Plains surrenders to mighty rivers that carve it into bluffs and vales, hills and valleys as their currents plunge from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi basin. Since childhood these hills gave me the strength to dream, these broad horizons granted room to stretch my imagination, and these creeks and rivers have beckoned me to explore. It is perhaps the subtle beauty of this place that trained me not to overlook nuance and seek the magical in the mundane. Finding ecstasy in the everyday is not always easy but it characterizes a creator no matter what their endeavor. The rhapsody found in a raindrop may yield understanding and inspiration that apply in an unexpected way to your creation. Here is an example.

Researcher and creativity theorist Howard Gruber (1974), studied the scientific creativity of Charles Darwin among others. Gruber says that creators develop images that allow them:

...a wide range of perceptions, actions, and ideas. This width depends in part on...the intensity of the emotion which has been invested in it, that is its value to the person.

Gruber calls these "images of wide scope." Darwin's image was a tree that allowed him to organize the branches of life in his thoughts and eventually led to his theory of evolution. Similarly, Nikola Tesla's image was that of resonance which led him to explore how nature contained vast resources of energy.

Well, we don't have to be Darwin or Tesla to have this scope. Each of us has such an image that leads us past the surface of things and drops us into a deeper world of meaning. I have come to know that my "image of wide scope," is of waves, an image that first captured me as a child sitting upon these hills watching the wind blow across the tall grass pastures and fields of wheat. The wave, a visual metaphor of oscillation, has guided my exploration of many subjects including my work with creativity. When you let your mind relax, what images come to you? Where will they lead if YOU are willing to follow? An old Zen Koan asks; "What is the sound of one hand clapping? The answer for me is;

"A Wave."

So what of the buffalo? Let me roam a bit further. A few years ago while driving back into town from my hilltop retreat, out of the corner of my eye a very large bull caught my attention. This pasture was populated by black Angus cattle so the sight of a big black bull was normal, but this time the size was surprising, startling in fact. On my double take, I saw that it was not an Angus this time but an enormous Buffalo male. I quickly stopped the car to get a closer view. The bushy beast turned towards me and for several minutes we communed eye to eye. For me it was as powerful as if I had seen the fabled White Buffalo. Here stood an emissary of the herds I had previously encountered only in my mind's eye on these hills. It seemed right, so very right.

I found out later that this handsome creature had escaped from a ranch some 30 miles away and had roamed free for several months. Unfortunately his freedom was short lived but as I remembered the event now upon my hilltop a new meaning struck me, a new connection to creating. It was the power of fences, and the courage it takes to break through them.

Like this lone Buffalo, creators are the ones who break through fences. Our civilized world is full of them. Admitting that I have anthropocentrized (i. e., projected human feelings upon), this stately paragon of the plains, I could not help but feel the sadness at the near annihilation of his species, and the Plains Nations who respected and depended upon it. All done to put up fences. A fence is no match for a stampeding buffalo herd but here was a lone four legged, courage incarnate, with the grit to "think outside the fence." Here was a being willingly wounded to go through fences.

Creativity is often stifled by rules, protocols, hierarchies, social consensus, self judgments and censorship. The fences of our workplace, and of the modern world. They have there usefulness but sometimes they stand in the way of breakthrough creativity. One formula for discovery often used in corporate settings is brainstorming. A brainstorming session encourages spontaneous ideas while temporarily suspending judgment and criticism. Individuality is supported by the group. Then, when enough energy is generated by some of the ideas the focus shifts to the collective for discussion and development. Recounting this in my buffalo thoughts, it is the process of exciting the herd, letting individuals get a good strong run going, and then, when enough turn in one direction, the stampede is on.

Now get out of the way.

A fence is no match for a buffalo stampede. Hey, what about those critters at the front of the pack. They're still going to smack the fence and take some bruises. They need the encouragement of the group to muster strength for the run, to find the courage to create, to steel themselves to knock down fences and break on through. Most of all, at the end of the stampede and calm has returned, they need someone brave enough to say thank you and help assuage a few wounds. Whether your the point person, keeping momentum in the middle of the herd, or even a herd of 0NE, remember "images of wide scope" just may take you through a few fences. Be ready, willing, and thankful for those who do. After all, the sound of one herd clapping...is

THUNDER. So what now?

Well.......

Buffalo gal won't you come out tonight,

come out tonight, come out tonight.

Buffalo guy won't you come out tonight

and dance by the light of the.............. (its your call)

SITE NEWS;

As I mentioned in last months winner's announcement we now have a chat room on the site. I will be in the room on Tuesday Nights from 9 PM (US Central Time) to answer any questions about Vantage Quest or what ever is on the group's mind. So far its been very quiet so I won't know how well its going to work until a "whole herd" shows up. Tonight's the night so I hope you will drop in. You may enter at:

http://www.vantagequest.org/mindmeld.htm

I look forward to hearing your ideas.

USER COMMENTS;

Antony Hurden

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Anthony was one of the very first to try Vantage Quest (then on tape) and I am delighted to hear more comments from him. Thank you Antony for then and now!

Antony wrote:

Finding some way to let my subconscious do the thinking for me! Switching off so that I can make links and create ideas easily is not something that I achieve as often as I want at work. I tend to "tune out" during meetings, let the ideas bubble away and then come back into the meeting and try out the ideas that come up. Having a desk with a view over a mill pond helps! My early version of Vantage Quest showed a spiders web of links and so on. It's an image that's stayed with me and I'm now more aware of a "need" to

let my subconscious play with seed material and make some sense from it.

---------------------------------

Angela Buffalow

Ozark, Missouri

The relaxed spirit of Angela's comments (and yes, the synchronicity of her name) demanded inclusion in this issue. Thanks Angela.

Angela wrote how she's creative:

Mornings, when I feel the day is fresh.

In bed, a few minutes before sleep takes over. My mind is relaxed and allows for all kinds of ideas and thoughts, not tainted with beliefs or opinions.

---------------------------

Jack McCurdy

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Jack's comments are a great example of the willingness to go on through the

fences. I include them in full. Thanks Jack.

Creative:

Using old things to build new things. Making use of un-used items in projects.

Comments:

"The Message of a Master", by John McDonald, published by New World Library, 58 Paul Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903 Phone: 415-472-2100, is a book well worth any price.

This book came to me in an un-suspecting way. Much in the same way as I found, "Vantage Quest", accidentally.

A trip was taken to visit my . mother-in-law, in the thumb region of Michigan. My wife and I live about 2-1/2 to 3 hours away, near Ann Arbor, and visit her about once a month. We always take her out for dinner, by the bay, or any place of her choice.

After we finished our feast, we, for some un-known reason, drove north, along the bay, and the local community library was having a book sale. My mother-in-law loves books, but, the romantic novel type.

We looked around for a while, and everyone had found something to buy, except me. I took the bags of books, to the car, and on my return to gather my wife and mother-in-law, I was compelled to look in a box near the person with the cash box.

The book that I found, caught my eye, a small book, not even 85 pages, but held answers to questions that I have had for years. I paid the price, and this book has become indispensable.

The following quote contains a truth, that for most of us, remains hidden.

"Extraordinary things like this occur frequently to most of us, but we disregard them, because of our lack of understanding, and think they are mere coincidences".

Thanks you all for your comments on the site and suggestions. I read every one and look forward to them.

NEWSLETTER ADMINISTRATION;

Please remember.

1) This not a "bulk email" mailing. If you are receiving this writing, it is because you have signed our Guest Book, purchased our product, are our link partner, or communicated with us in some other way. There are a few exceptions whose names have been added along with others from some mailing we share in common. The list is also maintained by hand, thus any multiple copies you received result from either my error, or you have entered your name multiple times in our drawing and I have failed to catch it. I apologize for any inconvenience and hope you will continue to participate.

2) I still do this the old fashioned way -- by hand! If you don't want to receive our newsletter, just send me a note and I will groom the list. But please don't sign up each month and then repeatedly ask to be removed from the list. It's too much work. The goal here is to build a community of creative folks, not make "email enemies."

For those who do not know.

I hold the drawing from the previous months Guest Book entries about the 1st. of each month. One winner is selected from the US, and one from the International submissions. The winners receive a free copy of our latest release and our thanks. YES, you can enter again each month, and many of you have, but ONLY ONCE PER MONTH. Please let me know in the comments that you already receive this mailing so I don't bombard you with multiple copies of this newsletter.

AND THE SEPTEMBER WINNERS ARE:

International:

Mr. Bugra Harmandar

Erzurum, TURKEY

US:

Mr. Peter Jeff

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Congratulation Peter and Bugra! Your CD's are on the way. I do so enjoy sending them off as VQ becomes the hum heard round the world. Thanks to everyone for your interest and support.

That's it for this quarter. I'll send out a Winner's Announcement each month but the newsletter will remain quarterly. Next issue December.

Signing off for now, just a windstorm away from OZ.

Why not do some dreamin? You're not afraid to try!

With warm regard,