How about a discussion on this article of feeling safe...........

May 30, 2006

Protecting Your Flow
How Fear Blocks Creativity

To understand how fear blocks creativity, take a moment to imagine yourself telling a story. First, imagine telling the story to someone you love and who loves you. You probably feel warmth and energy as you fill in the details of your tale to your friend's delight.

Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2006/3593.html

Creativity, to me, means a lot of different things. We can be creative in accepting others just for who they are. We can be creative and make macrame, jewelry, writing, listening, caring, being unconditional towards each other, scrapbooking, photography, gardening, cleaning, loving our SOs, not giving up on finding an SO, etc.

That's a really good article.

Unfortunately for some, it may be impossible to feel completely safe around people.

Very good article, Pat!!

I find the same things to be true. I'll have to give that light some thought. I've got a fear right now that is blocking my creativity.

Very interesting, and good. I hope many more can also apply this to their online lives here at PC, also TC!

Great article, Pat. Thanks for posting it! I'll definitely refer back to this as I work on the "D"-word.

gg

Pat, you got me thinking. I have not been doing my art or writing much here at all. I need to make the time that is safe and inspiring. Thanks.

I agree with every single word of this, wholeheartedly. Not facing our fears head-on does little to move us forward in life - it just holds us back.

Good article............. It is amazing how "fear" can control ones life....

Oh... when I was in therapy the T i was seeing did a relaxing tape for me which centered around a blue light of healing... Took me awhile; once i stopped tryen so hard to relax and just listen to the tape, it did relax me.......I kept losing the tape , guess the third time I lost the tape, I didn't ask him to make another one as i was too embarrassed...

I'm all for helping each other and being supportive, but you should have provided a link to the article, not copied it here. It's a violation of copyright, and also a violation of the PsychCentral rules.

Excuse me?? Radio_Flyer didn't post the article! Don't you think the mods and Admin are doing their job?? You should take it up with them.

I disagree with this article.

I think:

(1) Fear may inhibit and encourage creativity.

(2) Visualizations may be useful in creativity, but the visualizations the author mentioned sound more like delusions than an antidote for creativity problems.

A certain amount of natural fear is good. It keeps us safe.

It's been my experience that vizualisations are a great help in relaxing and knowing what you want to accomplish. For me, it's a great tool for "seeing" a final outcome.

My T and I used it quite intensively to get me past some of my problems. If it's a crutch, so be it. It helps get you through.

There's a song that has a line in it that has been instrumental for me to move ahead and that is "If I can see it, I can do it." It's very true!

Interesting point that fear may inhibit and encourage creativity. I am pondering on that one...........Trying to relate that when I am fearful what do I do........Most of the times when fear raises its ugly head, I withdrawl or hide...... But sometimes I think fear has pushed me to do something which I guess could be creative, or maybe it is just survival........ actually i am most times paralyzed by fear ........ still pondering on this one......... interesting!!!!

excuse me? that article came in my e.mail. i get an article every day. there is nothing concerning that article that says it can't be copied. the originators encourage that the article be forwarded to my friends.

i think you reacted, instead of responded. i would have appreciated it, if you had asked me where i got the article and what the originators say about what i can do with said article. period.

i give up. pat

Inoticed in another thread that a full article was also posted. I think the request is that we not post complete articles, but link to them? But that's probably for copyright agreement from another site etc, not those sent to us..for passing on.

Don't give up Pat, it's all a process of learning ... sometimes you, sometimes me, sometimes "them"

i forgot to thank all of you who appreciated the article and i hope that we all learn from it. i know that it has affected the way that i look at my fear and my creativity. thank you, again. xoxox pat

Hey I didn't do nuffen...lol.. but i know your reply wasn't directed at me.. Is a great article and never give up, which I already know you don't .........

(((((Pat)))))

fayerody, has fear been more a factor than depression for creativity issues?

Perhaps it is the element of fear within the depression (fear/anxiety/depression) that is doing the creation, rather than the lows?

Some of the most beautiful songs, poems and even paintings have been done when the originator was sad or going through a rough time, but that might be depression .. not fear...... sometimes I can't identify the correct emotion.. hmmmmm .. but there is a big difference in fear and depression... hmmmm... done pondering on this... fear hinders my creativity.. i am pretty sure of that.... or i think it does.. ..wipes brow..

During panic attacks, I cannot physically create anything. But, mentally I create all kinds of scenerios of danger to fear. After my panic attack subsides, I have been able to use the fear as subject matter in my art. Maybe because I dissociate, I am able to create art when I'm afraid of the world???

That was part of my point: depression is composed of some elements of fear (anxiety)... to delineate which part of a disorder is causing which result, now that's interesting to me!

TC! and... create!

fear has never been a factor for my creativity.......wait, maybe it has......i faced it down.......the first time that i went on the Navajo reservation to photograph a rodeo, i was so scared that i played AC/DC as loud as i could all the way through the rez. one of the teenagers had left the tape in my truck. playing it that loud took my mind off of the fear.......so....yes, i was scared to death and rejection was big, big, big in that fear. the photos that i took that day are excellent and i got some of my best friends/supporters from that day. yup, fear moved me forward.......on the other hand, some of my best portraits have come when i am really depressed. i relate to people's eyes and faces better when i'm down. i'm searching for a connection then and i get it through the lens.

jennie,

BTW I think it's amazing that you were allowed to photograph native americans