Douglas Eby
Douglas Eby [M.A. / Psychology] is author of the main site Talent Development Resources, and is a writer and researcher in the areas of gifted adults and the psychology of creativity and personal growth.
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Articles by this Author
Scary thrills or irrational dread: working with fear and anxiety
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 12/12/2008
- Anxiety
Many people choose to get scared in certain situations: thrill rides,
horror movies, bungee jumping, running in front of bulls. But what about
dealing with unwanted terror? And can fear ever be useful? Some artists embrace fear as an aspect of creative work. But if you feel shut down or blocked from your talents because of anxiety, there are many ways to help deal with it.Ruts and Change and Passivity
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 10/11/2008
- Change, growth, coaching
Being seduced by the comfort of routine and the known is one of the
ways we limit ourselves and inhibit social change. Conservative
thinking on both a personal and political level may feel safe, but can
nurture stagnation. Doing more about our inertia, we can grow more
effectively toward who we want to be, and help our institutions evolve.
Pumping our teeming brain
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 10/4/2008
- Neuroscience , High Ability - gifted/talented , Creativity enhancement
Are people fascinated by so much in the world because of their intellectual development, or does consciously feeding our mind stimulate high level thought and creative ability? Steve Pavlina, for example, writes, "Leonardo da Vinci, considered a genius by any reasonable standard, achieved competence across a diverse set of fields, including art, music, science, anatomy, engineering, architecture, and many others. While some would argue that such wide-ranging interests were a result of his intelligence, I think it is more likely that they were the cause of it - or at least a major contributing factor."Summer Bishil on acting in "Towelhead"
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 09/17/2008
- Acting
In the film "Towelhead," Summer Bishil plays 13-year-old Jasira, a
Lebanese-American girl navigating through her adolescence, including
challenges with identity, sexual awakening and self-esteem.
Learned helplessness, mojo and serenity
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 09/12/2008
- Change, growth, coaching , Anxiety
"Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got." Janis Joplin // One form of compromise is learned helplessness - an emotional and behavioral response
in which a human being (or other animal) has learned to "give up" or
act as if they are helpless, and loses motivation to act in their own best interest in a situation, even when they may really have the power to
change that circumstance - or at least their reactions to it.
How to nurture creativity: Are we all creative?
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 09/6/2008
- Creativity enhancement
Is creativity possible for any of us? Yes, it is a pretty dumb
question, but it can be all too easy to take on some form of belief
that only kids or “artists” or “professionals” can use their minds in
truly creative ways.
Summer Bishil on the emotional toll of “Towelhead”
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 09/6/2008
- Acting
Summer Bishil stars in “Towelhead,” about a Lebanese American girl’s coming of age in Texas during the first Iraq war. "To Bishil it was a relief to find a part that not only
suited her ethnically but actually resonated with her. Still, she found one particularly violent scene was upsetting. Afterward, she remembers going back to
her dressing room and “having a little emotional tantrum and crying.
And being very sad. I was really tired too... I didn’t realize the toll it took on me, until now.”
Mind enhancement devices and drugs
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 09/4/2008
- Mental health & fitness , Stress
A flickering candle, the sound of surf, beating drums, psychotropic
plants - those can all be seen as early “devices” for altering mental
states and consciousness. Now, there is a wide range of much more
sophisticated devices, software and smart drugs designed to enhance
awareness and cognitive abilities, which may or may not work.
She Is Running The Show
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 03/22/2008
- Achievement / Vocation
Many talented women in film such as Charlize Theron
and Natalie Portman are finding more creative fulfillment as executives
and producers, not waiting for better acting roles.
But what sorts of challenges do women face when changing or expanding
their career choices, especially in such a male-dominated business?
Making Good Use of Depression
- By Douglas Eby
- Published 03/16/2008
- Depression
Depression
can be a profoundly damaging and disrupting condition, spiritually and
psychologically corrosive, preventing us from living fully and
realizing our talents. But a number of people also say the experience
has had real value for them.
Psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison first planned her own
suicide at 17,
and attempted to carry it out at 28. Referring
to her bipolar disorder,
she has said, "I have felt more things, more deeply..."