The Cost of Losing a Creative Mind

In 1947, Austrian psychiatrist Edmund Bergler (a known follower of Sigmund Freud) coined the term, “writer’s block”. For him, a creative mind punished itself and conceived of its ideas through pain, trauma, and a desire to feel either.

To make my biases known, I am not a fan of Edmund Bergler. 

He believed that [on the whole] writers sought out pain so that they could create something from it. 

While many poignant, discursive works have been born of pain, we don’t learn much about creativity by painting every creative person with the “tortured artist” brush. We don’t neglect the tortured artist, should they choose to identify as such. We’re aware that art helps people to process emotions, and types of successful therapy have been born from this idea. 

Creative people, naturally, transform upon what has been done in the past and give of themselves. They might:

• Give a presentation at work in a way that engages their colleagues differently.

• Present data using a different organizational method than they had in the past.

• Write a book inspired by a classic novel with a modern twist.

• Create a sculpture that represents their idea of an abstract concept.

• Design a Braille notetaker that allows those who are blind or have low vision to read textbooks or store information.
  

There are different ways of being creative, and many creatives, when leaning on their processes, experience blocks. While some blocks can be at varying levels of frustrating or annoying, endeavors in overcoming them are largely solution-focused. 

In other words, people often turn to creative thought processes to make things easier, to work through something, to find answers, or to validate something. 

Creative people are some of the most solution-focused individuals. They are an asset to a team because they often think about how things can improve. 

Unfortunately, many creative minds have been taken for granted because of the time it takes to execute ambitious projects, because of deep-rooted traditions, and because of the temptation of instant gratification. 

It’s not easy to be creative. I often tell my students that two of the hardest things in writing are starting and finishing. The same is true of many creative projects, but difficulty does not make them less worthwhile. 

Edmund Bergler’s notions regarding writer’s block almost seem like jokes today, but unfortunately, the myth of the tortured artist without nuance persists. Many creative, innovative minds are thought of as not to be taken seriously or inherently dangerous.  

In truth, it is often the case that when creative minds are dismissed, demeaned, or discouraged, answers are lost with them. Embrace your inner creative and encourage your fellow creatives. Go through your process, experience a little writer’s block every now and again, and know it’s okay to ask for help. 

Thank you so much for taking a little time out of your day for Purposeful Prose. Remember, you can reach out to us at any time.