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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The creative being




I recently read an interesting article about highly sensitive/creative-types and actually gained a little insight about myself.  I found I actually identify with alot of these characteristics. 
Not sure how I feel about that yet. 
Anyway I thought I'd share some of it for any of you other creatives or those of you that love one :) 

Creatives often feel and perceive more intensely, dramatically, and with a wildly vivid color palate to draw from, which can only be described as looking at the world through a much larger lens.
Without a substantial filtration system firmly in place to screen out most of the busy noise, these people tend to receive a far greater amount of stimuli directly into their psyches.
I certainly get overwhelmed easily in about every sense, even visually although that is the best way I learn or remember things.  Send me to the grocery store looking for a certain item and I may stand there in the aisle attempting to find the right one forever.  Even looking at all those labels can be a bit much for me, I just tend to examine every detail and can often get swept away by some thought completely unrelated to my task. 
Creatives might find themselves more easily overwhelmed, and often live chaotic lives, affecting not only personal relationships, but also their own productivity.
Over-stimulation can sometimes manifest further into anxiety or depression, bogging down their ability to cope with every day stressors or life’s challenges.
Do I live a chaotic life?  Maybe.  I don't think my life itself is overly chaotic compared to anyone else's but I do feel chaotic often.  This is something I am working on, being intentional about finding peace and rest.

 Pearl Buck once described the highly sensitive person as...
“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive. To them…a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death.”
 I think this sums me up pretty well.  The intensity in which I feel things is easy for me to recognize. I tend to avoid the news.  A tragic act can linger in my mind for quite some time and I visually place myself in that situation and what it must have been like to experience it.  I am the last to let go of an argument.  Hubsy can move on from a disagreement in just a few minutes but for me the sting of conflict lingers.  That's not to say that I am unforgiving, it just takes me longer to get back up to the normally happy place I live in.  Any mistakes I think I have made end up haunting my mind more than they probably should.  It has been a long process for me to take it easy on myself.  I am learning how to be my own best friend :)

This might then bring up an important question: Do people create in an attempt to process, and survive, a condition that overwhelms them?
Pearl Buck also mentions, “Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create—so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off…They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating.”

Oh my does this point speak volumes!  The need to create something is indeed ingrained in my every day.  Be it a making meal, re-decorating a corner, creating a blog post, you name it.  I am much happier on days where I have released into a creative outlet.  The thought of a life where my ability to create is drastically restricted almost makes me panic.

These points may seem a little dramatic but it does seem that a high level of sensitivity
and the creative mind go hand-in-hand.
What do you think? 
Can you relate?

If you would like to read the entire article you can find it here.

8 comments:

  1. Hmmm....I'm really glad you posted this. I would definitely consider myself to be creative, and I often live a chaotic life. I need to get better at that!

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  2. This was so interesting! I can relate -- sometimes I can't sleep at night if I haven't done something creative - crafted or written or taken pictures.

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  3. Oh, I love this!!! I completely relate!! I kept reading thinking, that's me! ;) I love the picture at the top, also, it's just perfect. Hope you've been doing well, have a beautiful week!!

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  4. such interesting observations!! i think we are all creative in some form or fashion because we are made in the image of Creator God, so i totally see how this can apply to everyone in some aspect!!

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  5. I love things like this! I'm all about personality inventories and such -- I agree, they can really give you some great insights to yourself! I can completely relate to the sensitive parts of this. ;)

    Hope you're having a great week, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN to you and your little ones! :)

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  6. I can definitely relate since I'm a creative being myself. Do you have the original article still? I would love to read the whole thing! I love your commentary though and completely understand, especially with avoiding negativity and the news. Although I've been glued to the news since this storm hit. I've just wanted to see how my fellow states/neighbors are doing.

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  7. Yes, I definitely relate... a lot. For awhile we'd wake up to a clock radio saying the news and it would always have something like someone being stabbed, or kidnapped, or a car crash, and I have such an over active imagination that I started getting really anxious about living life. When we stopped listening to the news...my imagination could focus on more positive things! It was pretty crazy actually.

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  8. Very interesting! This sounds a lot like me, except I have no creative juices flowing through me at all. I am highly emotional and sensitive though.

    This definitely suits you very well. I think it's a great and beautiful type of person to be. :)

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