Gain Confidence Thru Your Creative Self

[badabara]

This is precisely why I teach at art - to promote these values. We live in a culture that is seeking efficiency but is ending up with the inability to concentrate and focus. There is recent article that was posted on creativitypost blog: http://www.creativitypost.com/arts/t...inking_process

There is no right or wrong in art. One may freely explore which ideas are worth pursuing. If an idea is not rooted in real laws of the heart, mind or the physical properties of the materials, it falls apart, and the process starts over. There is a huge amount of room for trial and error, and failure. This is the artistic thinking process.

[Viking55803]

As a Jungian, I may quibble with the terminology, but the article captures the essential dialogue between parts of our psyche that lead to genuine creative expression. Many writers describe the feeling of simply "taking dictation" when writing. The source is unknown or, more accurately, unconscious. Yet, and this seems obvious but still hard to grasp, the unconscious IS conscious. When you look in a mirror and talk to yourself, the unconscious is listening. Furthermore, it is the case that the Ego is often the enemy of creativity; the Ego is all about control, planning, and maintaining a persona or image. If you are writing, the Ego wants the writing to be nice, clever, intelligent or whatever qualities make the Ego look better. This is anathema to creativity.

I've personified my creative self as a two-year old child for many years. You can't force a two year old to perform, you can't beat it into submission without killing it (sorry for the strong image) etc. This inner child (and Jungian James Hollis says we all have not just an inner child, but an inner Kindergarten!) needs to be nurtured, protected, and invited to play.

In any case, I enjoyed and appreciated your article.

[saje]

reverting to the "child" seems a regression or a denial of the potential of innocence/availability/openness to the new and still be an adult about it. i know this is outside the circle but can not we as adults be simply creative?

the Fruedian Id is something i have been investigating lately, in fact, today. It is too early to print the thoughts but it is a working concept birthing within the next sculpture--thanks

[fritzie]

saje, I have the same reaction you have whenever people talk about seeing things through a child's eye. In fact, we have access throughout life to the primitive part of the brain, some of us accessing that more readily than others. Some of us in our adult behavior regularly bring to mind to others the patterns and reactions of childhood, because these playful patterns are not unique to childhood. And as we mature, we can combine those images and reactions with what we have learned through our experiences. We do not typically lose wisdom and creative insight as we get older, though lives get in the way of our exercising all our capabilities.

[saje]

Originally Posted by fritzie

saje, I have the same reaction you have whenever people talk about seeing things through a child's eye. In fact, we have access throughout life to the primitive part of the brain, some of us accessing that more readily than others. Some of us in our adult behavior regularly bring to mind to others the patterns and reactions of childhood, because these playful patterns are not unique to childhood. And as we mature, we can combine those images and reactions with what we have learned through our experiences. We do not typically lose wisdom and creative insight as we get older, though lives get in the way of our exercising all our capabilities.

well and better stated fritzie as this is well though out. i would only say primal instead of primitive since primitive carries some incorrect baggage. thanks, this is why i come back here!