“I have a way to talk about whatever I want. And that’s more meaningful to me than whether people like my work or I make a lot of money.”
From the post: Making Meaning in Art: Alexis Smith, Eric Maisel.
Meaning is another of the “big topics” touched on in my book “Developing Multiple Talents.”
Like passion, meaning is another central element in how we choose which of our creative interests, abilities or talents to develop and express.
Or choose not to: If it isn’t meaningful in some way to use a talent, why bother?
Well, maybe if you get paid a lot for doing it. But does that really satisfy our needs for spiritual meaning? Probably not.
Finding and making meaning is especially crucial for creative people, and one of the potential consequences of insufficient meaning in our lives and work is depression.
Psychologist and creativity coach Eric Maisel points out that the ongoing search for meaning and the task of meaning-making “is work, but it is the loving work of self-creation. It is the choice we make about how we intend to live our life.”
And in his book The Van Gogh Blues: A Creative Person’s Path Through Depression, Maisel notes,
“Creators have trouble maintaining meaning. Creating is one of the ways they endeavor to maintain meaning. In the act of creation, they lay a veneer of meaning over meaninglessness and sometimes produce work that helps others maintain meaning.”
He warns: “Not creating is depressing because creators are not making meaning when they are not creating.“
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Author, artist, performer, and creativity coach Janet Riehl interviewed Dr. Maisel about his book in her article: Eric Maisel’s “Van Gogh Blues” Explores Connection and Meaning-making as Treatments for Depression.
Here is an excerpt:
Janet Riehl: “Eric, what I hear you saying is that when creative people in particular maintain a connection to their mission or purpose (you call it a Life Purpose Statement in “Van Gogh Blues”), a connection to the value of their work, and their own value as creative people in the culture, they will be stronger in their work and in their lives. Is that a fair way to put it?”
Eric Maisel: “Yes. Even before you can make meaning, you must nominate yourself as the meaning-maker in your own life and fashion a central connection with yourself, one that is more aware, active, and purposeful than the connection most people fashion with themselves.”
Making the most of our talents
Elsewhere, Maisel writes in a sample from his Meaning Solution Program:
“Self-actualization is a lovely word that stands for our desire to make the most of our talents.
“Instead of using only a small portion of your total being, just enough to get by, you make the conscious decision to employ your full intelligence, your emotional capital, and your best personality qualities in the service of growth and good works.
“We know that we’d love to make use of our potential and make ourselves proud. Self-actualization is the way you become your real self and your best self.
“You will do yourself a great service if you treat self-actualization as one of your most important meaning opportunities.”
Dr. Maisel has also created the field of existential cognitive-behavioral therapy (ECBT), which he says is “the technical name for a field where meaning, thoughts, and behavior come together.”
The Meaning Solution Program he developed “spells out what a meaning problem is and does more than identify generic solutions—it walks you step-by-step to your own personal solution.”
[See list of his current programs below.]
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The above is from my book “Developing Multiple Talents: The personal side of creative expression” – see About the book for reviews and links to purchase.
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Additional material on the topic of meaning and creative people:
Work that is meaningful also fuels our creative passion.
Painter Dianne Albin comments: “For an artist, it is a driven pursuit, whether we acknowledge this or not, that endless search for meaning.”
“Each work we attempt poses the same questions. Perhaps this time I will see more clearly, understand something more.
“That is why I think that the attempt always feels so important, for the answers we encounter are only partial and not always clear.”
Continued in article Artist Dianne Albin on Meaning-Making.
Director Julie Taymor made a comment about her work:
“Whatever it is, I have to really love it — that’s what’s important to me. I wouldn’t have done “The Lion King” if I didn’t believe it has something solid to say to people. When you approach it that way, you come at it with all your soul and intelligence.” [O, the Oprah Mag., Nov. 2001]
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Book:
Life Purpose Boot Camp: The 8-Week Breakthrough Plan for Creating a Meaningful Life by Eric Maisel
From a review:
“Creating a more meaningful life is essential for anyone, but especially for creative people, and this book will take you step by step. This camp kicks butt, in a good, meaningful way!” — Janine T.
From the book:
“When I sought meaning and purpose in the external, I starved my own life. My choices were always constricted by what would achieve an end result and win approval, regardless of the cost to my health or my psychological well-being.” – June, a corporate executive
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Related articles
Existential Depression – Creative, Sensitive People In Need Of Meaning.
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Eric Maisel, PhD is author of more than 50 books, and provides multiple programs on creativity, personal development, life purpose and meaning, enjoying a successful creative life and business.
Dr. Maisel provides multiple courses and programs including:
- Mastering the One-Person Business
- Life Purpose Boot Camp Self-Paced Instructor Training
- Your Best Mind Ever
- A New Look at Achieving Emotional Health
- A New Look at Overcoming Creative Anxiety
- A New Look at Mastering Creativity
- A New Look at Creating Meaning
- A New Look at Handling Mood Swings
Learn more on the page
How to have a more successful creative life – Eric Maisel programs
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