EPISODE 92
CREATIVITY DURING DIFFICULT TIMES

HOST- Jeremy Burns, Matthew Scott Phillips

GENRE- Special Topics

DURATION- 78:07

BUMPER MUSIC- "Follow The Fish" (Area 47)

ANNOUNCER- Heather Blisard

LISTEN

DESCRIPTION

In this episode, we are going to take a moment to address an issue that many of us must reckon with: staying creative during difficult times. We are going to share some of our experiences, based mainly on the Covid-19 social distancing guidelines. We will hear from some of our listeners who have been so kind to share their own stories. We will also discuss a few articles on the topic. Enjoy and be well!

A SPECIAL THANKS

We want to take a moment, first off, to thank some of our listeners who took the time to write in about their experiences:

MATHIAS HORN, TREY, SAM DULMAGE, STEPHEN ERWIN, TAYLOR HANDLETON,
JESSICA BROPHY and DAVID AMMERMAN

ARTICLES

“The Link Between Hardship and Creative Expression”


(Elenor Haley)
whatsyourgrief.com

-In this article, the term “sublimation” is related to the process of transferring grief. This defense mechanism was detailed by Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory.

-According to the author, sublimation “occurs when a person channels their unpleasant emotions, urges, and anxieties in socially acceptable, positive, and beneficial ways.”

-According to Enclyclopedia Brittanica, sublimation is the diversion or deflection of instinctual drives, usually sexual ones, into non instinctual channels.

The author of this article sites 3 key reasons that creative outlets can help people cope with grief:

1-Creative expression is engaging- Psychologist, Martin Seligman, suggests engagement to be one of the 5 core elements of psychological well being. This refers to participating in activities that one finds exciting, enjoyable and challenging. These activities can be old ones or new ones.

2-Creativity can lead to creative problem solving- When people are dealing with grief or hardships, they sometimes feel boxed in by their own perceived limitations. When people do this, creative thinking can be the key to: making new connections, identifying coping skills, finding new solutions and making meaning out of their experience.

3-Creativity fosters communication and connection- Creative expression can allow people to convey emotions, or messages, that they may otherwise find difficulty getting across otherwise.

“Adversity and the Creative Mind: How We Find Pathways Through The Impossible”


(Marilyn Price-Mitchell Ph.D)
psychologytoday.com

-By the time we reach adolescence, we’ve become pretty familiar with suffering (by our own experiences or by witnessing those of our loved ones).

-By the time we’re at midlife, our response to adversity has become a bit more ingrained in us. But fortunately, that can be altered (to some degree) thanks to neuroplasticity, the notion that the brain continues to make new neural pathways beyond the early stages development.

"How To Turn Sadness into Creativity"


(Jenny Marchal)
lifehack.org

1. Identify your negative emotions- Identify these emotions, acknowledge them and accept them for what they are. If these feelings linger or return on a regular basis, it might be a good time to try and channel that energy into a creative outlet.

2. Direct Your Negative Emotions at Problems Not People- This is all about directing your negative emotions (such as frustration, sadness, anxiety or depression) towards creation rather than towards innocent bystanders, thereby avoiding further conflict.

3. Don’t Judge Yourself- Creativity seems to not work so well when we are constantly criticizing our own work. When we are experiencing negativity, this occurs more regularly. Remember that creativity is a process that involves inspiration and works best when untethered by self evaluation and over-analysis.

-The important thing to remember is that while creative activities don’t get rid of these emotions, they do trigger the fulfillment center of the brain. This can lead to the discovering new emotions as well as channeling this energy to more positive places. Also, recent studies show that engaging in creative activities can increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin. Both of these neurotransmitters are associated with well being and happiness.

LINKS AND RESOURCES

If you have an instrument that you would like to donate to another musician,
share the love at:
hungryformusic.org

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