Creative People

and Anxiety

Fictional writer ‘Charlie Kaufman’ [played by Nicolas Cage] in the movie “Adaptation” by the real screenwriter

Charlie Kaufman.

Creativity coach Lisa A. Riley :

"Feelings of self-doubt, criticism and negative beliefs can produce anxiety around

the creative process.”

Creativity coach and author Eric Maisel, PhD asks, “Are you avoiding your creative work altogether? Do you

procrastinate? That’s anxiety.”

Quotes by Riley and Maisel are from my article:

Procrastinating and Distracting Ourselves

Eric Maisel also notes: “Only a small percentage of creative people work as often or as deeply as, by all rights,

they might be expected to work. What stops them?

Anxiety or some face of anxiety like doubt, worry, or fear..."

Quotes from article: Eric Maisel on anxiety and developing creativity

Photos from ericmaisel.com

"Our data shows us that anxiety sufferers all share a superior level of

creative intellect. This may not be experienced as academic prowess,

[but] as a distinct range of both physical and mental attributes effecting creativity, emotional

sensitivity and clarity, eccentricity, creative energy and drive…"

From article: Creative intellect as a marker for genetic predisposition to high anxiety conditions, by Charles Linden.

Psychologist Elaine Aron thinks “high sensitivity increases the impact of all

emotionally tinged events.”

In her book The Highly Sensitive Child, she notes that some sensitive adolescents

may drink and use drugs to try to overcome anxiety or depression

through self-medication.

From my post Sensitive to anxiety.

Presenter : Douglas Eby

M.A. / Psychology

Creator of the Talent Development Resources

series of sites :

talentdevelop.com

For more quotes, articles and other resources

on this topic of anxiety, see my Creative Mind post:

To Be More Creative Deal With Anxiety

See more topics - with notes, links, presentations and other resources

on the page :

Creative People: Personality and Mental Health