Creativity: Is Writing Safe?
Posted by JohnD
Photo Credit: Kumar – MorgueFile
Depression shuts down creativity so completely that I think of these two as polar opposites. When I’m free of depression, my mind is working, my feelings are alive, and I can generate ideas, I can write, I’m effective at whatever I’m doing. But in the midst of depression, everything is shut down, and I can’t think straight about anything. In my case, though, something else seems to be happening when I experience a block in writing or any creative activity. Following is an almost stream of consciousness piece that I sat down to write in the midst of frustration.
I try to write, I get pretty far into something that feels good, feels like it’s coming from an amazing source of – what? a kind of power, a creativity that swirls things into life, a well of discovery – and then… I stop. What’s wrong? My mind is blanking out, I can’t seem to concentrate, I’m distracted, or I start to get sleepy, actually dive into unconsciousness for a while. What’s happening? What was that I was trying to write? Trying to imagine – no, it’s gone! Why can’t I do this? Why does it happen over and over again? Perhaps I’ll get back to that piece of writing, but it will be with a more mechanical mind. I’ll rearrange parts, revise the life out of them, make everything more rational. And then, it’s dead – it doesn’t work anymore! It will be safely dull.
Safe? Is it safe? I was forgetting that. It’s the latest signal, the latest shorthand warning sign coming out of a therapy session yesterday.
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