An essay on Creative thought and Talent
Free flow of thought is like a doodle in the head.. The doodle needs skill and energy to draw.
Sometimes, with enough effort and revision and detail and correction it turns into something..
That something might well need further revision, but for the first time a clear picture is formed.
To make these creative doodles, I need to load up on information about that which I'm trying to find the picture of. This can be obsessive. Obsessions seem to help become intense enough that the mind starts to use its picturing, doodling qualities to rationalise the quantity of information.
Creative friends have also said that the obsessive cramming of info around the subject, or immersion in the subject lead to the creativity needed for new ideas to find a picture or 'Eureka' moment.
I used to be able to do this and other things at the same time. Now I can not multi-think.
I used to be able to do this quickly. But age improves the clarity, but reduces the skill.
Age - better clarity but less able to do normal life tasks as well.
I find myself unable to do the simplest of extra tasks - like meet people or go out on other peoples terms.
To allow or force the mind to make a multiplicity of thoughts or pictures from the reading, viewing or thinking of new information is a tool needed in building the doodle. However, this free thought can overload the mind and extraneous input from others, no matter how close or well intentioned, leads to mental breakdown, grumpiness and frustration.
The worst extraneous input is criticism of an off hand. little knowledge type. Criticism of the obsessive thinker feels terrible for the thinker. They become obsessive of the criticism and try to rationalise it. Very dangerous and leads nowhere, usually, except to create a circle of frustrated, obsessive thought about the person who said the annoying thing or about the criticism itself. Depression results.
Extreme effort is required to create or in particular, force the mind to picture a doodle. This is worst when put under pressure by others to find results. Others begin to expect it and take advantage of the skill in others. But this takes its toll on the well being of the creative thinker or artist or doer.
Others do not see the effort required. Others do not understand how creativity occurs. It is not free. It uses life energy.
If someone saw another carrying loads of stuff, they would not ask them to carry more of there own, particularly if they were carrying less. We can not see what each other is carrying in their heads. The overloaded thinker is carrying more than most and is least able to carry more until the creative process is complete. Then there is a release and satisfaction and a time of rejuvenation is required.
Some of the most gifted are able to turn their minds to anything. In their youth, this can be fun and a challenge. As age takes it toll, they have to focus and constrict their thoughts and skills to specific well chosen tasks. But others still see them as able to turn their mind to anything, so continue to pester them.
Agents, managers or the public have always taken advantage advantage of the talented. This puts added pressure on the talent to perform, perhaps in ways they find difficult to repeat. The talent wants to go another way, for its own sanity, but is forced back to old ways by the pressure of the public, colleagues or family. This just makes the amount of baggage and workload worse.
You see this with artists, musicians - anyone with talent. Those without feed off the output from the talent. This is normal - the talent has to feed others. But it can get too much when the talent can not sustain the appetite or hunger of the masses. Feeding off the talent is ok. But over feeding happens too often. The talent requires strengths to resist this, but often these strengths are missing in the creative mind.
Partly others overfeed because they see the talent as 'lucky' and able to produce without cost to itself. But there is a cost. The cost is mental health and sanity. The ability to do other tasks and take on more and more is at a detriment to the talent's mind. Often what the talent needs is overlooked. The pressure on the gifted is enormous!
When talent says no, or wait, the untalented are affronted at the arrogance and pig-headedness. They turn against the talent. Most talent seems to find this hard to deal with. Rejection is difficult. Self-destruction often follows...
The talented often become reclusive. They need to get their own minds in order without the disruptive cackle of those that have no appreciation of the efforts behind creativity.
To make money out of your own talent seems fair reward. It helps to a level. Lubricates.. But recognition of the real needs of the talented is also required. The talented can also get sucked into money instead of deeper rewards from their abilities. The overly self sustained want, or the push from outside parties can lead to too much time spent in the doodle world. This causes the real world and the cerebral worlds to get more blurred than usual. Madness, high blood pressure, seem to lie down this path.
Too much doodling - Madness
Not enough time with like-minded people - loneliness
Not enough appreciation - frustration
Not enough focused doodling - lack of self fulfillment - under achievement
Some doodling techniques need practice and development. One downside to having opened up techniques to exploring myriad scenarios is that it can not be turned off, easily. So you end up over analysing everything. A common frailty of gifted people?
The deeper reward is to follow where the thoughts and gifts naturally lead. Perhaps Neil Young was disliked because he let his music take him where it had to go, rather than repeating the same creations for money. Others are not as strong.
Many get no money. Many get no recognition until after their death. Many get exploited. Many get no chance to use or display their talents.
Many seek money or fame for its own sake, rather than following their art to the best or purest level.
Things take time - its taken me 50 years to be able to write this essay, for what its worth.. Perhaps the biggest emptiness comes from not being able to share your thoughts with anyone that understands and nurtures them. Or those moments are fleeting and hard to sustain.
Alcohol, sex and drugs can help fill the emptiness, but at a cost..
Fame is not a gift or talent. Fame can be as intoxicating as other vices, and at least as hollow. Fame is barely a reflection of talent, but a vehicle in its own right for others to make money from talent. Fame is not power. The powerful manipulate the famous. |