Victor Shamas, Ph.D.

AbOUT

I have dedicated my life to understanding and exploring the experience of creative inspiration, as well as the qualities and conditions that give rise to it, including: passion, receptivity, intuition, sensuality, playfulness, mindfulness, and self-transcendence. As a University of Arizona psychologist, I have studied the relationship of creative inspiration not just to artistic, scientific, and technical achievement but also to health and wellness. For more than two decades, I have brought together and mentored individuals who, like me, recognize the importance of creative inspiration as both a source of motivation and a guiding force in their lives.
 
The experience of inspiration is a central theme in my work. My TEDx talk, "The Art of Creative Inspiration," has had over 80,000 views. Each of my four books deals with inspiration in some way: The Chanter’s Guide details the healing properties of inspiration and explains how the practice of chanting can facilitate this kind of transformative experience. In The Way of Play, I explore the inspiring qualities of numerous play activities. Repose: The Potent Pause, co-authored with health psychologist Jhan Kold, introduces a simple yet powerful technique for enhancing the kind of receptivity that can lead to creative inspiration while also improving health, wellness, and productivity. In Deep Creativity, I examine the creative power of inspiration and provide specific strategies for getting and staying inspired. Many of my 259 YouTube videos look at the nature of creative inspiration, including "The Beatles: Six Creative Secrets Revealed in Get Back," released in early 2022.
 
I head two groups that promote the experience of creative inspiration: PlayHaven, which offers creative play for people of all ages, and Global Chant, a network of chant circles that use chanting as a vehicle for both inspiration and healing. I have spoken to groups on four continents about a wide range of topics related to inspiration, including: creativity, play, Repose, chanting, self-transcendence, inspired leadership, and the future of spirituality. My Intuition in Pregnancy study has been featured in USA Today, Pregnancy magazine, and NBC’s Today show.