It is widely understood that the
creative mind operates differently than those without that “creative
spark.” Perhaps less well-known is that there is actually
scientific proof to support this understanding. What new studies
have actually shown is that the brains of the creatively inclined
tend to be more active than those of the less creative in specific
regions associated with attention and focus. This in itself while
being a key difference in the inner workings of certain people is in
no way a defect or disorder as some have labeled it, but rather it is
simply proof that not all humans are wired the same. To claim that
there is a mental disorder where there is only mental difference is
an incredibly damaging accusation to make, as we are now telling our
creative minds that there is something wrong with them.
Imagine if you will an individual who loves to paint, and spends days, weeks, or even months perfecting a beautiful landscape, only to be told that the final product is boring, unoriginal, or simply not worth the time and effort spent to create it. It is easy to see how such a criticism could cause our artist to feel depressed or unworthy. You could say that accepting criticism, both good and bad, is just a part of life and if our artist is unable to do that in a positive way, they must be depressed or unstable. But let us accept some of the blame ourselves, recognize that in any professional discipline it can take years of practice and many failed attempts before we are able to achieve success. Acknowledging this, it is simply crazy to expect everyone to behave in the same manner, and placing such unrealistic expectations on those who are hard-wired to be different from others creates tremendous amounts of stress, and seeking an outlet to release this stress, be it through more art, substance abuse or questionable behavior, seems only natural.
Imagine if you will an individual who loves to paint, and spends days, weeks, or even months perfecting a beautiful landscape, only to be told that the final product is boring, unoriginal, or simply not worth the time and effort spent to create it. It is easy to see how such a criticism could cause our artist to feel depressed or unworthy. You could say that accepting criticism, both good and bad, is just a part of life and if our artist is unable to do that in a positive way, they must be depressed or unstable. But let us accept some of the blame ourselves, recognize that in any professional discipline it can take years of practice and many failed attempts before we are able to achieve success. Acknowledging this, it is simply crazy to expect everyone to behave in the same manner, and placing such unrealistic expectations on those who are hard-wired to be different from others creates tremendous amounts of stress, and seeking an outlet to release this stress, be it through more art, substance abuse or questionable behavior, seems only natural.
Some inspiration for this topic drawn from:
That seems like a good start! And very intriguing! What are the original sources? The study mentioned?
ReplyDelete(OK, and I truly do apologize for this, but I was an English major, so take pity on me. Break that paragraph before the sentence that begins with "Imagine if you will" and try eliminating "if you will". Sorry. Sorry. :/ )