The Risks of Creativity
"And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" Anais Nin
We are all aware of the biological and developmental/environmental aspects for any mental illness, as well as addiction.
The new light Maisle and Raeburn shed on these risk factors for me, is that creative individuals, due to their individualism, may be at greater risk due to the feeling of alienation and a sense of "swimming against the current".
"These are not people who just see that the emperor has no clothes; they offer their own brand of attire for him to wear. The feel obliged to speak out, do what they believe is right, and pursue their own goals, even when they may be punished for doing so."
Arnold Ludwig The Price of Greatness
Creative people have a compulsion to create. We are often anxious at any point in the process of creating; and if we are somehow stymied in creating, become very depressed.
"A person with vitality, passion, and energy--a person who is really alive--possesses roiling thoughts, big ideas and insistent desires. These inevitably lead to obsessions and compulsions."
These obsessions and compulsions can be constructive, or destructive, depending on how they are channeled.
"And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" Anais Nin
We are all aware of the biological and developmental/environmental aspects for any mental illness, as well as addiction.
The new light Maisle and Raeburn shed on these risk factors for me, is that creative individuals, due to their individualism, may be at greater risk due to the feeling of alienation and a sense of "swimming against the current".
"These are not people who just see that the emperor has no clothes; they offer their own brand of attire for him to wear. The feel obliged to speak out, do what they believe is right, and pursue their own goals, even when they may be punished for doing so."
Arnold Ludwig The Price of Greatness
Creative people have a compulsion to create. We are often anxious at any point in the process of creating; and if we are somehow stymied in creating, become very depressed.
"A person with vitality, passion, and energy--a person who is really alive--possesses roiling thoughts, big ideas and insistent desires. These inevitably lead to obsessions and compulsions."
These obsessions and compulsions can be constructive, or destructive, depending on how they are channeled.
There is also the well established historical link between creative people and substance abuse. Including the fact, that creative people are often performing in environments such as bars and clubs, or environments where alcohol is regularly served, such as vernissages at art galleries.
We have an entire culture or mythology linking creativity with exploring alternate realities accessed via substances.
But to live and create authentically, we need to face life and our emotions, without our "crutches".
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