“I must have been crazy to have donned so many hats.” Jennifer Westfeldt Many multitalented people feel inspired and energized to pursue multiple creative projects, often at the same time. One potential downside is physical and emotional burnout. Jennifer Westfeldt wrote, produced and acted in “Kissing Jessica Stein” and “Ira & Abby.” For her new [...]
The illusion of productivity “I used to drink several cups of coffee a day, but I kicked the habit a long time ago because I found that caffeine made me too jittery and unfocused.” That is a quote by Steve Pavlina, author of one of the most popular, and financially successful, sites and blogs dedicated [...]
“I think most human beings go through some sort of depression in their life. And if they don’t, that’s weird.” Kirsten Dunst From an article by Josh Patner in Flare magazine, which continues: Dunst speaks from experience: In 2008, she checked into a rehab center in Utah to be treated for crippling depression. Things started [...]
A research news article reports, “The amygdala is known to be involved in social anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and obsessions and compulsions, and is now being linked with separation anxiety and general anxiety.” // Excerpt from lyrics (based on Emily Dickinson) in video: Fearing – by The Amygdaloids While I was fearing it came But with [...]
Eric Maisel provides helpful ideas about fear vs anxiety over success. He wrote: Hello, everybody: Yesterday I addressed the Tri-Valley branch of the California Writers Club on the subject of “overcoming creative anxiety.” I described 24 sources of anxiety in the lives of creative people and 22 anxiety-management strategies. In the question-and-answer period that followed, [...]
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 [...]
Michele Kane, Ed.D., gave a presentation on Stress and Anxiety: Helping Gifted Kids Cope – which also has helpful perspectives for us adults. She points out that stress is universal and experienced by everyone, and that “Being bright, talented, creative, motivated, smart, ambitious, and even good looking can add to the stress in your life.” [...]
“Raking in a zen garden is one form of relaxation, but visual guided imagery is a specialized form of meditation that teaches a patient to focus on their breath and different muscle groups. “Even learning for a short period of time could teach you how to reduce stress, reduce anxiety in different situations,” said clinical [...]
By Edith Johnston PhD LPC I have lots of ideas. I am intelligent and inquisitive with lots of interests. Yet, I am insecure and everything seems incongruent as I move through life. Does this sound like something you experience? Being a multi-talented individual, or said another way, a smart person, can lead to this kind [...]
By Janet Esposito, MSW It seems like quite a stretch to think that our fear of public speaking and performing can actually be a blessing in our lives. That sounds like a big dose of positive thinking—an attempt to be the eternal optimist trying to find the silver lining in a difficult and often painful [...]
The fear of failing in front of an audience is familiar to me. Even though I never had a major memory lapse or experienced any ridicule for my work as an actress, I always felt afraid before every performance . Many of us who have performed before an audience can probably relate to American Idol [...]
From a report by Medical News Today : The demands associated with creative work activities pose key challenges for workers, according to new research out of the University of Toronto that describes the stress associated with some aspects of work and its impact on the boundaries between work and family life. Sociology professor Scott Schieman [...]
Does being sensitive include the strength to endure and survive hardships? Could it be that what makes us more vulnerable might also make us more durable? I believe in aristocracy, though–if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power…but…of the sensitive, the considerate…. Its members are [...]
I’ve always been embarrassed by my history on the job. So many failed idealistic attempts to change things. So many years working at jobs where I didn’t fit and wasn’t using my talents. If I’d understood a bit more about giftedness, I might have sought out more appropriate situations. The research of Roland S. Persson, [...]
When I was acting, I had recurring nightmares of being in unknown plays without a clue of my role, and paralyzing real-life panic right before the curtain came up. Many talented musicians, actors, speakers and others experience performance anxiety, often called stage fright. A new study shows that biofeedback can be highly effective in decreasing [...]
In his post Getting Rid of Beliefs is Not Enough (on his blog), Morty Lefkoe explains how classical conditioning can work against our emotional stability. How Associations Early In Life Cause Negative Emotions Later In Life Very often we are plagued by repeated negative feelings in our life, such as fear, anger, guilt, anxiety, 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.
