This page contains Patricia's review of interesting books on creativity.
The Courage to Create
by
Rollo May
Rollo May’s work brings together the psychoanalytic tradition in psychology and the existentialist movement in philosophy. His purpose in writing the book, The Courage to Create, is to enlighten the reader of the significance of creativity from a new psychological perspective. The value of this book, is that May contends the creative act is a quest towards the reality of experience.
He believes this on-going struggle with creativity is really mans yearning for immortality. I believe, the bigger picture being that the artist is expressing the collective unconscious striving towards greater evolutionary levels of psychic totality.
The desire towards ecstasy is part of the creative process. When we do not express ourselves creatively, we tend to lack the passion and commitment needed in our daily life. But, the double-edged sword is simply this... No guts! No Glory! Creative people live with the anxiety of insecurity and sensitivity and defenselessness but are able to reap the joy of their endeavors when they are committed to their artistic expression.
In conclusion, I passionately agree with Rollo May that perhaps the imagination and art are possibly, “the fountainhead of human experience.” Our intellectual explanations or psychological pathologizing or existential philosophys pale to the obvious. The quest towards the “reality of experience” is what resonates in our inner most being and mirrors how alive we truly are when we encounter the moment of creativity. It is a realization...when we choose to be creative, we are choosing to live life, to experience life and to transcend the material aspects of living and honor the spiritual inter connectiveness of our deepest sense of Self.
...Inspiring...
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