Creative Intuition: The Power of Listening and Praying.

“The great book, always open and which we should make an effort to read, is that of Nature; the other books are taken from it, and in them there are the mistakes and misinterpretations of men.” Antoni Gaudi

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain ~ spectacular and unfinished. via Canaan – SF maig 2026.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0

Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is the world’s tallest church. Construction began in 1882 and continues today.

Intuition: The ability to acquire direct knowledge/conviction without inference or the use of reason. Originates from the Latin intueri ~ to contemplate
Creative: To display imaginative originality and reject/shirk the conventional
Prayer: Praarthanaa (in Sanskrit) derived from ‘pra’ and ‘artha’ meaning pleading fervently—a reverent, faith-based plea for divine intervention; for God’s grace.

All of the special architectural designs you see here are the handiwork of Antoni Gaudí, a famous Catalan architect and designer. If you visit Barcelona, Spain, go visit Gaudí’s works. More on it below. Read on and take a closer look.

I took a contemplative walk with a friend this morning at a local park with a beautiful lake set right in the middle. Typically on sunnier days, at a set time, a fountain in the lake spouts water sky-high and creates a kaleidoscope of color, capturing the gift of a rainbow reflecting off the lake.
Not today. It was a foggy morning, with drizzling rain showers that started and stopped as if in response to a distant drumbeat. We arrived early, so only a few people were around. A croaking bullfrog and chirping birds sang their morning praises to the creator. We listened, commenting on how beautiful our surroundings were; a perfect canvas painted by divine hands.

Casa Milà​/ La Pedrera,​ ​Barcelona​ via Thomas Ledl – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Casa Milà/ La Pedrera, better known as La Pedrera (Catalan for ‘The Quarry’), built 1906-1910

Casa Milà Atrium via Chongming76 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Casa Batlló via ChristianSchd Casa Batlló Overview Barcelona Spain.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Casa Batlló, also known as Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), built 1877, remodeled 1905-1097

Casa Batlló Blue Interior Wall via Sara Terrones – Viajar lo cura todo, CC BY-SA 4.0

“Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.” Florence Scovel Shinn

Colonia Güell vía María Rosa Ferre – Flickr: Cripta de la Colonia Güell, CC BY-SA 2.0,

Cripta de la Colonia Güell/ Church of Colònia Güell construction began in 1898 and stopped in 1914. Designated World Heritage Site

Cripta de la Colonia Güell Altar vía Ferran Pestaña – Flickr: Colonia Güell 26 – 16, CC BY-SA 2.0

Interior Altar of the Church of Colònia Güell, built as a place of worship for people in a suburb of Barcelona

“Only when we find the quietness in our own minds can we begin to hear our inner teacher, so that we may receive some intuition. Only when we are ready to recognize and value the wisdom that we carry at the core of our being will we turn our attention inwards and ‘listen in’.” Innerspace
“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” Henry David Thoreau
“The creative path leads directly to a sacred realm.” K. Bradford Brown

We often speak about nature’s beauty, but many of us hardly pause to listen to the sounds and songs she shares. We don’t listen for the whispered secrets that feed the creative impulses of those we call extraordinary artists: men and women of creative genius ~ who listen to their intuitive impulses, pray, and create magical works.

As we paced ourselves, one white-sneaker shoe in front of the other, the grotesquely twisted limbs of some nearby trees caught my eye; birds perched, digging for worms; richly hued green leaves glistened with rain droplets. The thought, nature is not always beautiful, but she is perfect, especially when juxtaposed … crossed my mind: how nature’s beauty shows her face, a two-sided coin with beauty on one side and the beast on the other.

I needed to think about this more. Ah, sure! Creativity has the same quality, and we are sometimes forced to consider these juxtapositions when stark examples of beauty and the beast strike us in nature or in creative endeavors. All are divinely inspired.

Parc Güell via Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0

Park Güell was constructed between 1900 and 1914, opened in 1926, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984

Park Güell – Vaulted Retaining Wall via Dennis N (=Nehrener) – Own work, Public Domain

“Men may be divided into two types: men of words and men of action—the first speak; the latter act. I am of the second group. I lack the means to express myself adequately…” Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudí via Pau Audouard Deglaire at the Gaudí and Barcelona Club. Public Domain

“I believe creativity is like electricity. We don’t understand how it works… we just use it.” Maya Angelou
“Listen to your intuition. It will tell you everything you need to know.” Anthony D Angelo
“I would not be able to explain to anyone my artistic concepts. I have not yet concretized them. I never had time to reflect on them. My hours have been spent in my work.”Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudí’s {Antoni Plàcid Guillem Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852–10 June 1926)} original, powerful architectural wonders in Barcelona, Spain came to mind as I kept up a steady pace with my friend.

Recently, at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, I watched a documentary on Gaudi by Hiroshi Teshigahara … and the haunting images of his immensely imaginative architecture – Gothic, surreal, hypnotic, and more swirled around my head like a psychedelic dream. Gaudi was a prayerful, intuitive architect who captured nature’s irregular shapes and unusual proportions in his building designs. He was not afraid to explore new ways in construction, design, and the use of color and materials.

He was acutely aware of nature and his surroundings, and he injected elements of them into his work. For the monumental La Sagrada Familia, he is said to have fasted and prayed for guidance on the project. Though it was never completed (and is still under construction) in his lifetime, this project led many to call Gaudí “God’s Architect.”

Where does the creative impulse come from? Do you listen to the still, small voice urging you to try painting your life story on an innovative canvas? Do you pray for creative guidance and then think that sudden thought on what to do is stupid? How do we know that what we know is divinely inspired and original? What do we learn about fearlessness from artists of remarkable genius?
For those of you who want to explore more about this extraordinary architect, you can read Antonio Gaudi: Master Architect by Juan Bassegoda Nonell and Melba Levick. If you have other books to recommend, do share them here. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences of Gaudi’s work. What do you think?

Ceiling in La Sagrada Familia via  SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya – Tot conflueix / All’s connected, CC BY-SA 2.0

La Sagrada Familia facade in Barcelona via A. Ocram – Own work, Public Domain

Positive Motivation Tip: Explore your creativity. Meditate on it. Pray on it. Sleep on it. 

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS:  Photos from a selection on Wikipedia/Wikimedia – credits/attributions – La Sagrada Familia via Canaan – SF maig 2026.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0,  Parc Güell via Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, La Sagrada Familia facade in Barcelona via A. Ocram – Own work, Public Domain, Casa Batlló via ChristianSchd Casa Batlló Overview Barcelona Spain.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Casa Batlló Blue Interior Wall via Sara Terrones – Viajar lo cura todo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Casa Milà​/ La Pedrera,​ ​Barcelona​ via Thomas Ledl – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Colonia Güell via Maria Rosa Ferre – Flickr: Cripta de la Colonia Güell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Ceiling in La Sagrada Familia via  SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya – Tot conflueix / All’s connected, CC BY-SA 2.0, Cripta de la Colonia Güell Altar via ferran pestaña – Flickr: Colonia Güell 26 -16, CC BY-SA 2.0, Casa Milà Atrium via Chongming76 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Park Güell – Vaulted Retaining Wall via Dennis N (=Nehrener) – Own work, Public Domain,  Antoni Gaudí via Pau Audouard Deglaire – at the Gaudí and Barcelona Club. Public Domain

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet