On the Dream Manifesto website, I found an article by clinical psychologist Anne Paris (based on her book, Standing at Water’s Edge: Moving Past Fears, Blocks and Pitfalls to Discover the Power of Creative Immersion). I’ve not read her book but in the article she emphasizes the importance of personal connections in fostering creativity. She suggest three kinds of relationships:
“Find Strength in Mirrors - An artist finds the strength to create through feeling special, recognized, and appreciated by others. Share your ideas and your work with others who are likely to appreciate your talents and your efforts. Allow yourself to “take in” this kind of psychological nourishment. If you don’t have this kind of support, imagine it.
Find Inspiration in Heroes - An artist finds motivation and inspiration to create through admiring, respecting, and hoping to please a parent, teacher, mentor, or idol. Reach for connection with your “real life” hero or immerse in your idol’s work, ideas, or art.
Find Comfort in Twins - An artist finds comfort through the creative process by feeling understood and understandable by others who are in the same boat. Reach for connections with “like-kind” (for example, join a writer’s group, or take a painting class, or go to conferences, artist retreats, or galleries). Share your hopes and dreads, triumphs and defeats, with these empathic others - they’ve been there - they understand.”
It’s an interesting contrast to the image of the artist as loner. You can read the full article, “A New Approach to Igniting and Sustaining Creativity,” here.
