The creative process involves the creation of original works, the transformation of existing ones or a synthesis of media, symbols, and techniques that jump out at the viewer. At its best creativity provides full engagement of body, mind, and spirit with a sense of power, mastery, harmony, beauty, discovery, and awe. Some have described it as being inhabited by a divine muse or daemon. Others have described it as being in the zone or in a state of flow that pulls one outside of time and is unmatched by any other experience. These sensations are elusive. Many artists and creative people have struggled unsuccessfully to capture it and fallen into a state of anguish marked by discouragement, despair or depression. The creative process is not all about training or talent. Much depends on mindset. While an adventurous spirit and a willingness to risk and fail facilitate the creative process, perfectionism and its cousin procrastination hinder it. The inner demand of perfection or bust holds many artists back. It freezes the willingness to experiment, allow chance in, and see what happens. From a psychological perspective the reason one has chosen to paint, sculpt, photograph, dance or write works of poetry, fiction or drama, is very important. What was the impulse or motivation that prompted one to take up a brush or pen? Was it a purely creative impulse? Was it the unconscious desire to please one’s parents, to carry on a family tradition, to stand out from the crowd, to make money or to attract admiration or sexual desire in others? Was it both? External goals like those muddy the waters of creation. Purely psychological factors like low self-esteem or having a harsh inner critic can muddy them too. I am a psychotherapist who is well acquainted with the arts and the creative process. I have great admiration and empathy for artists. Over the years I have had an increasing number of clients who are artists and who benefited from working with me in therapy. It has been a true pleasure to help them remove their creative blocks and unleash their creativity.
