I hate being creative, it makes me an outcast, no just joking, I love being different. I have talked to my psychologist about what has been written below, and there is without question a lot of truth to what has been said. My wish would be to be like others, but still have my inventive mind, my wish would be to not strive for perfection, but still show I'm keen to do my best, but most of all my wish would be to let other know who don't know, that my intensions and my desire to push the limits are not for others to feel as like I am competing with them, although this must be hard as I am always trying to improve things.
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All my life I have been punished for thinking differently, punished from all those weak social followers, the ones who are affraid of us creative people, they are the ones who live in fear of knowing that they have nothing to offer, their only win is to put down and pretend the are worthy, they are like the bullies at school, big, but such little heart.
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I have invented military weapons, devices to curb crime, things that warm the house, a bed, a motor, submarine recovery system, lifesaving boards, a helicopter anti rotation wing and all sorts of other things, I have written songs, poems done sculpturs and artwork. But why am I still poor (I got the Vincent Van Gogh spell) ? well mostly because I gave some of my ideas away, some of them were stolen by companies I worked for and also that it takes alot of money to make ideas, so alot of my ideas will never be realised to the public. Also just because i might be good at ideas, does not mean that i have the skills of a business mind, "some poeple could sell shit as a perfume, I could not sell shit to a fly"MD
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Here is an artical that I found fits me perfectly, and it was good to read the there must be many others that feel the same way. As this article says, I am leading a marginalized life as an adult – confused, frustrated, underemployed and in great psychological pain.
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Are You Highly Creative?- The Link between Unidentified Creative Abilities and Mental Health
By Mary Taylor, LCSW
By Mary Taylor, LCSW
Do you feel you are on a different “path” from most people? HELL YEAH!! Do you have a sense of imagination that, it seems, few understand? YES!! Have you ever been told you are “too sensitive,” “think too much” or are “too much of a perfectionist”?
If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, you may be a highly creative person. Many highly creative people remain unaware that they are, in fact, creative.
The inability to identify highly creative individuals in and of itself may place them at risk for serious and longstanding difficulties in many areas of life. Without appropriate education and intervention strategies their problems often continue to escalate over the long term.
Why do so many creatively gifted people remain unidentified and struggling in our society?
One reason this happens is because of a mistaken notion about what creativity is in the first place. Most often we link creativity to an exclusively artistic activity or occupation, like playing the piano or painting a picture. This stereotype misses the real root of creativity – Creativity stems from a way of absorbing and processing information and experience. Through this process, new ideas, inventions, products and works of art are born.
This viewpoint acknowledges the existence of raw abilities that can be clearly identified and can exist independently of any specific task – abilities that can be directed toward the accomplishment of many endeavours and in fields that are often considered far from being creative.
Five significant creative abilities are:
High idea phoria - Having a naturally rapid flow of ideas;
Divergent thinking – A natural inclination for simultaneous and multifaceted thinking (used in addition to linear thinking);
High idea phoria - Having a naturally rapid flow of ideas;
Divergent thinking – A natural inclination for simultaneous and multifaceted thinking (used in addition to linear thinking);
Acute sensory skills – In one or more of the five senses (often exhibited in terms of having strong sensitivities to light, sound or visual images);
Strong intuitive capabilities – The experience of “knowing” something is true and being highly accurate without reliance on concrete information;
High emotional intelligence – Having an acute awareness of one’s own feelings as they occur, and the ability to be highly attuned to the emotions of others.
Strong intuitive capabilities – The experience of “knowing” something is true and being highly accurate without reliance on concrete information;
High emotional intelligence – Having an acute awareness of one’s own feelings as they occur, and the ability to be highly attuned to the emotions of others.
When Abilities become Liabilities
A frequent burden of having creative abilities comes from the fact that they cannot be “turned off.” For example, abilities of perception are continually at work whether one is actively aware of it or not. Creative abilities often become liabilities when they are not recognized, protected and given a meaningful outlet on a direct basis. This phenomenon can be considered the “double-edged sword” experience of having creative abilities in the first place.
Highly creative individuals may notice a tendency to become frequently tired, anxious or overwhelmed, but may not know why they are feeling this way. They may fail to understand that the tendency to absorb stimulation “like a sponge” can make them vulnerable to sensory and information “overload.”
Without receiving correct information about their abilities, they might attribute their symptoms to the wrong cause. Statements such as: “I’m too sensitive,” “I’m too much of a perfectionist,” and “I think too much,” are frequent, but often incorrect, conclusions many highly creative people make about themselves when they do not understand their abilities clearly.
These types of inaccurate and negative descriptions can do major damage to one’s self image. Attempts made at correcting a problem from this vantage point are frequently unsuccessful because the initial interpretation was in error. Over time, self-blame and an inappropriate approach to problem-solving lead many of the brightest and most creative individuals into marginalized lives as adults – underemployed, dissatisfied and often in tremendous psychological pain.
Many highly creative people are at risk of receiving an incorrect mental health diagnosis when their doctor or therapist remains unaware of their special needs and abilities. Some of the most common misdiagnoses are: mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and social anxiety disorder.
If a diagnosis is incorrect, treatment will often be in error as well. For example, the failure to realize that highly creative individuals frequently become depressed when they do not have adequate outlet for their rapid flow of ideas may result in the recommendation for an antidepressant medication rather than a real solution to the original problem – adequate outlets (projects and people) for their highly productive thinking.
Of course, some people may have high levels of creativity and a mental health disorder. On these occasions, care needs to be given to identify each component accurately and address it on its own terms in order for treatment to be effective.
Many highly creative people are actually coping with two sets of problems – the problems of daily life and those which stem from having unidentified creative abilities. Failure to acknowledge this reality can lead to students receiving incorrect educational approaches in school (often from a mismatch between teaching and learning styles), and adults remaining in unsuitable careers and relationships while blaming themselves for their perceived “weaknesses.”
Crossing the Bridge from Adversity to Success
In order to prevent highly creative individuals from remaining at risk, specific action is necessary:
Withhold judgment or diagnosis of a particular problem until a thorough evaluation of the person and their environment has been made. All those who work in mental health, educational and vocational assistance programs should be aware of the link between unidentified creative abilities and the emergence of psychological, vocational, interpersonal and other difficulties.
Maintain awareness that a creative aptitude is often hidden under an easily recognized problem in daily life. Understand that the “problem” may actually be a symptom of something else – a raw ability that exists under the surface (like a pearl in an oyster shell). For instance, sensitivities to bright lights, noises or other people’s moods (a “problem”) may indicate the presence of strong perceptual abilities.
When creative abilities have been identified, determine if they are causing any repercussions in daily life. For example, having a sense of imagination that few people understand, can lead to feelings of loneliness and an experience of feeling “different” than most people. This determination is needed to establish a correct interpretation of one’s difficulties.
Develop an accurate understanding of creative abilities and identify how they can be used in a way that is personally helpful and meaningful. For instance, someone with strong perceptual abilities may excel in graphic design, research science or in other occupations that require one to be highly observant.
Identify specific skills that protect creative abilities from the “assaults” of daily life (so that the ability does not become a liability). For example, use meditation to counteract the effects of stimulation “overload,” or get rid of clutter in the environment to compensate for having naturally complex thought patterns.
Reframe negative labels into accurate descriptions. For example, the label “I’m too sensitive” can become: “I am very skilled at noticing things in my environment – I am a very perceptive person.” “I’m too much of a perfectionist” can become: “I am able to see things as they could be – I can imagine an ideal and work toward it.” And “I’m too emotional” can become: “I can feel my feelings and those of others very deeply – I am a compassionate person.”This process of reframing may lead to the awareness that one’s perceived weaknesses are actually strengths. Gaining an accurate self-knowledge can lead to a transformational process where one is empowered to live more fully from his or her own creative “space.” The confidence that arises from this experience may make it possible to bring one’s creativity into the world in ways which may not have been possible before. This often marks the onset of an authentic vocation.
When Abilities Become Liabilities - The "Double Edged Sword" Experience of Being a Highly Creative Person
The inability to identify highly creative individuals and their aptitudes, in and of itself, places many people at risk for serious and longstanding problems in many areas of life. This experience often includes the development of emotional and psychological problems, academic difficulties, the inability to find a suitable career or relationship, and generalized feelings of dissatisfaction with life and with oneself. Many highly creative people come to lead marginalized lives as adults – confused, frustrated, underemployed and in great psychological pain. Their deepest turmoil often stems from the fact that, although they may feel they are capable, they are unable to bring their talents into the world in a recognizable or tangible form. They often feel confused in their attempts to figure this “puzzle” out.
When creatively gifted do not fully understand their own, unique cluster of raw abilities (that is, their abilities as they exist independently of any particular task or endeavour), they are often at risk for the following difficulties:
First and Second Stage Problems
First stage problems are mental health problems that stem directly from the ability itself. Some examples of first stage problems are:
A depression caused by a lack of creative and intellectual fulfilment (from being in environments or surrounded by people who are creatively or intellectually under-stimulating).
Being overwhelmed by the difficulty of managing high idea phoria and divergent thinking patterns (having many ideas and thinking on many different “levels” at once).
Anxiety, irritability and fatigue caused by the combination of strong sensory skills and environmental stimulation.
Significant questions in making an assessment of first stage problems include:
“Am I ‘obsessive compulsive’ or do my finely tuned visual abilities mandate I create an environment of visual beauty and order?”
“Do I actually have a biochemical depression, or am I an imaginative person living among a plethora of concrete thinkers?”
“Do I really have ADHD or am I attempting to physically keep up with my numerous ideas and interests through multiple projects and activities?”
Second Stage Problems
Second stage problems occur when first stage problems are ignored or are attributed to the wrong cause. In second stage problems, the fallout from first stage problems causes a negative ripple effect in one’s daily life. Some examples of second stage problems are:
Identity Problems – Many highly creative people accept mistaken notionsabout themselves including beliefs of being “too sensitive,” “too emotional,” “too much of a perfectionist,” “thinking too much,” and having “too many ideas.” These negative descriptions can result in damage to one’s self image and failure to identify the raw ability that may be hidden under the perceived problem.It is important to note that the word “too” is a relative term. In my clinical observations, I have noted that “too” labels are often used by those who do not have as much of an aptitude as the one being described. Just as it would be inappropriate to tell someone they are “too intelligent,” since intelligence is a strength, creative aptitudes deserve the same respect.
Based on this understanding, it would more likely be accurate to say that those who are “too sensitive,” may have acute sensory skills, those who have “too many ideas” may have high idea phoria, and those who are considered “too much of a perfectionist” may possess keen visual or visionary abilities.
Rather than being considered weaknesses, these characteristics can often signal the existence of exceptional abilities that can be parlayed into a satisfying career.
For example, someone with strong visual abilities may excel in graphic design, research science or other careers that require one to be highly observant.
Adjustment Problems – Many highly creative people struggle because they do not see themselves or their abilities clearly. This can result in the experience of going from job to job or relationship to relationship and wandering through life desperately looking for a purpose.
This experience is often echoed by a recurrent theme: “I know I am an intelligent person. I can’t figure out why I have not been able to make more out of my life than I have.” As many highly creative individuals get older, the grief experienced by the existence of high ability and lack of outward success may also cause them to lose hope of ever fulfilling their creative potential.
Many highly creative people I have worked with describe feeling extremely “disconnected” or “empty” in relationships with individuals who may not share their level of emotional awareness, imagination or degree of intellectual complexity.
Academic Problems – Highly creative individuals often have aptitudes that lie outside the realm of standardized tests. (Standardized tests typically stress linear thinking and the logical/mathematical and linguistic range of aptitudes, to the exclusion of other aptitudes). This emphasis places many highly creative students at risk for poor test performance and the inaccurate conclusion that they may not be as intelligent as other students.
Academic problems of highly creative students can also stem from a lack of compatibility between learning style and teaching style. For example, when a linear-thinking teacher expects a divergent-thinking student solve a problem using a step-by-step approach, while excluding inductive and intuitive problem-solving methods, unnecessary academic difficulties often ensue.
Medical Conditions – In my psychotherapy practice, I have witnessed a high correlation between individuals with multiple creative aptitudes and the existence of certain types of medical conditions, most often in the form of allergies, immune deficiencies, thyroid problems and metabolic disorders. I believe that these medical conditions may be triggered as a result of:
Longstanding stress from not understanding why one feels “different” than most people;
Ineffective coping with chronic, unresolved difficulties;
Vulnerability to the development of particular kinds of medical conditions by virtue of having a naturally sensitive nervous system, particularly when it is not adequately protected from the “assaults” of environment and daily life.
It is important to note that first and second stage problems are not the result of something being intrinsically wrong with the person, but are the result of living with the fallout from unidentified creative aptitudes, or poor coping skills in managing them. Since creative aptitudes can not be “turned off,” (because they are physiologically-based), these problems are likely to be compounded over time if effective interventions are not employed. Until now, highly creative individuals have had few reliable places to turn, in order to sort out their confusion, resolve their problems and move forward with their lives.
Creative Mind Shares Traits with Mentally Ill
By Alison McCook Reuters
The wildly creative genius often walks a fine line, as many of humankind's greatest minds have edged into the darkness of mental illness. Now a new study shows that creative people tend to share more personality traits with the mentally ill than they do with the middle-of-the-road masses.This finding suggests that both creativity and manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, may share some of the same genetic underpinnings, Connie M. Strong of Stanford University in California told Reuters Health."Both bipolar disorder and creativity probably are genetically driven, and may be related to the same set of genetic predispositions," she suggested.Strong and her co-author Dr. Terence A. Ketter measured creativity and personality traits in 48 patients with bipolar disorder, 25 patients with depression, 32 graduate students pursuing creative disciplines and 47 healthy people pursuing a relatively uncreative path in life.Bipolar disorder is marked by extreme mood swings from euphoria and excessive energy to severe depression and hopelessness. These drastic swings can damage the person's relationships and affect their work, and sometimes lead to suicide. Depression is sometimes called a "unipolar" condition in that it is only one half of the equation that makes up bipolar disorder.
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Strong and Ketter found that both creative students and those with bipolar disorders shared several personality traits. Such individuals were more open, and more neurotic and moody than the other study participants, according to findings presented at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting held in Philadelphia.People with neuroticism tend to have more anxiety, lower self-esteem and lower tolerance for stress than other individuals, and they may feel alienated, victimized and resentful, the researchers note.In an interview with Reuters Health, Strong explained that openness is a trait associated with a willingness to embrace new experiences, as well as being imaginative, curious and unconventional.
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These traits are often found in creative people, she added.Because similar traits are found in those with bipolar disorder it might indicate that both creativity and the mental illness stem from a similar genetic predisposition."It makes sense that they are two potential outcomes of a shared predisposition," she said.Indeed, previous studies have shown that there is a much higher rate of bipolar disorder in creative individuals than those in the general population.Strong said that people with bipolar disorder might also have creative tendencies because they see the world in two ways, with the same surroundings appearing differently to them depending on whether they are feeling manic or depressed.This "double view" of the world could allow manic depressive patients to be more open, she noted, one of the hallmark traits of creativity.The bipolar patients that participated in Strong's study appeared to be many times as creative as patients with depression, and showed even higher levels of creativity relative to those without mental illness. In fact, creativity among treated bipolar patients matched that seen in the graduate students pursuing creative degrees.Strong added that it was important to note that bipolar disorder patients showed high creativity despite the fact that they were being treated for their condition. Many patients are afraid to take medication for their disorder out of fear that it will impair their creativity, but these findings seem to suggest otherwise, Strong said.
