Like many actors and artists, Alan Rickman is a complex mix of passions and personality. He talks about his love and respect for writing, and the insecurity and self-criticism that so many creative people experience. He has portrayed many powerful and intriguing characters, including Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. In this video about [...]
Many artists express ideas about developing creativity and innovation that can be helpful to other creative people. Here are a few examples. Max Ehrman From LOVE IS IN THE AEROSOL, Text by Denise Kitt, SOMA magazine. When artist Max Ehrman is not completing privately commissioned works, he is zealously spray painting the walls of start-up [...]
Julia Cameron Live online course and artists’ community: From the program site: “As author of The Artist’s Way, The Vein of Gold, and The Right to Write, her bestselling works on the creative process, Julia Cameron is credited with founding a movement that has enabled millions to realize their creative dreams. “Julia eschews the title [...]
Matt Cardin is a horror writer, teacher, and musician-composer. Below is an excerpt from Chapter Two: A Brief History of the Daimon and the Genius, in his (free) ebook: “A Course in Demonic Creativity” available at his site Demon Muse – “a blog about the creative daimon muse: what it is, how to meet yours, [...]
Karen Moncrieff, after working for years as an actor, became a screenwriter. In a magazine article, she notes “Writing felt so comfortable in a way that acting never really did. With writing, I was using all parts of myself, all of my skills.” She said, “I let my emotions and feelings be my guide. I [...]
How we think about having and developing abilities can have a strong impact on actually using our talents. If we think creative expression has to wait for inspiration from a muse, or that there are only a few “chosen” geniuses with exceptional “gifts” in computer graphics, fashion design, writing novels or whatever – and think [...]
By Cheryl Arutt, Psy.D. Creating art has always been a way to channel emotional intensity. In a world where destructive acting out is all too frequent (and meticulously documented and sensationalized on the news and TMZ), sublimating painful feelings by expressing them in the form of artistic expression allows the artist to choose to “act [...]
Entrepreneur Katie Freiling notes, “Your business is your art… And you are the artist, the creator. “Everything you do as an entrepreneur, whether it’s writing, speaking, coming up with innovative ideas, etc… is sourced from your creativity. “Unfortunately, many of us have lost our connection to this infinite source of creativity within us… and it’s [...]
“Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” – Andy Warhol Andy Warhol was able to develop art-making into a very successful business, but we’ve heard of many great artists who sold hardly anything in their lifetimes. Stories of starving artists seem to have more currency in literature [...]
There are many distorted ideas about creators – including these: “Artists must be poor and sacrifice their well-being for their art.” “Artists are ‘bad’ at marketing.” “Artists should accept the solitary life and find solutions on their own.” “You can’t be a mother and a successful artist.” “Artists are right-brained and aren’t very good at [...]
“The creative process shrivels in the absence of continual dialogue with the soul. And creativity is what makes life worth living.” That is a quote by Jungian analyst and author Marion Woodman, on a topic also addressed by Julia Cameron in her classic book The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. “The heart of [...]
Researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi notes creative people are especially complex. “Instead of being an individual, they are a multitude.” Personality characteristics he describes include: * Humble and proud, both painfully self-doubting and wildly self-confident. * May defy gender stereotypes, and are likely to have not only the strengths of their own gender but those of the [...]
Einstein reportedly was expelled from school for “undermining the authority of his teachers and being a disruptive influence.” Of course, that was a long time ago – but do current schools encourage creative people? “Montessori taught me the joy of discovery…It’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you.” [...]
.. eeing a TV bio of Taylor Swift a while ago, I was very struck by her self-assurance and belief in her abilities from an early age, and her assertiveness to realize her exceptional musical talents. In her recent performance on the CMA Awards (the 44th annual Country Music Association Awards), she impressed me even [...]
“It’s hard to focus. It’s hard to have a conversation without checking the iPhone. It’s hard to go to a shrink and spend a few minutes on the couch and not need to see what’s happening…. It’s even hard to finish a thought.” That is a quote from the article A creative retreat in the [...]
Carol S. Dweck, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. She writes in an issue of the Duke Gifted Letter: * Some people are born gifted, and others are not. * You can tell who will be gifted from early on. * Gifted children should be labeled and praised for their brains and [...]
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Site author: Douglas Eby, M.A./Psychology, is a writer and researcher on the psychology of creative expression and personal growth, especially for high ability adults. He is publisher of the Talent Development Resources series of sites.
