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anxiety, creative jobs, creativity, eat love pray, elizabeth gilbert, external focus, healthy writing, mental instability, poets, psychological illness, stories, ted talk, writers, your creative elusive genius
Anne (visit her blog if you haven’t already! She’s a brilliant writer) sent me this video the other day. I love TedTalks, many of you may know as this isn’t my first TedTalk video I’ve shared.
I wanted to share this one with you all because Elizabeth Gilbert (the author of Eat, Love, Pray) talks about creativity. Without spoiling her talk, she discusses perspectives on where ‘creativity’ originates: from within or as an external source. The reputation writers, actors, and other creative professions have created, has been one where mental instability is often a common theme. Since creativity requires so much emotional involvement, this may be part of the explanation. Gilbert investigates another way we writers can perceive our creative genius, a way that may be more healthy for those of us who get anxious.
Regardless of whether you are a writer/poet or not, I really recommend this talk. She’s a fantastic speaker! Enjoy. 🙂
For those interested for some fiction too, Anne wrote a story that was inspired by Gilbert’s talk: Guiding Light. Check it out!
So, where do you think our creativity originates? Where do you get your creative ideas from? Are you a genius or do you have a genius?
– Ermisenda Alvarez
Ermilia 
I love this one. I saw it while surfing the TED site long ago and loved it, and then could never find it again…
Well, it will stay here on Ermiliablog for years to come! 😀 An easy place for you to go back to find it. 🙂
♥
I can’t watch this without crying. I don’t know way.
It’s incredibly powerful. 🙂 Thanks for sending it to me!
Great speec,and it really hits close to home. I am going to be presenting a discussion panel on creativity and where it comes from, at All-Con in March. I’m sure I’ll mention some of what she said in this TedTalk. Thanks for sharing this with us.
No worries. I’m glad her ideas and thoughts continue being spread. They’re worthy. Best of luck at your discussion panel!
I watched this recently. I really enjoyed it. I thought the TED of Natalie Merchant and her poems set to music was outstanding!
I’ll have to check out Natalie Merchant. Ted has so many amazing videos. Thanks for sharing!
Reblogged this on awritersfountain and commented:
Wonderful, inspiring and something you will recognise yourself within. I saw it on ermiliablog today and just had to share it too.
Write on today, go on, do your job!
We are all here to do our part, hopefully our little geniuses will come along and do their part too! Glad you liked it. Thanks for the reblog, neenslewy! 😀
I loved the blogging community for that – discovering many gems, must go and write now though! I have always thought my writing was being fed to me by some higher power, how else can poetry flow through me like blood in my veins? Nice to hear someone else qualify this – I am not mad – I am a creative!
Great video and has sent me in the direction of finding more.
(Ermisenda still here 🙂 ) Ithink Gilbert’s interpretation is so fascinating. I have never really thought too much about WHERE my creativity comes from. I always internalised it. But, as she describes, sometimes you’re struck with creativity. Is that us? Is that external? As a psychology student (a.k.a. science geek) I am doubtful that such an external force is possible. I have learned how crazy amazing and confusing our mind is. I like to think that my mind is that genius, sometimes it puts all the right links and patterns together and sometimes it’s just lazy.
Her talk has definitely given me a lot to think about… 🙂 Glad the video has sent you in the direction of finding more. I find these kinds of videos enriching and often inspirational.
Olé indeed Ms Gilbert!
Olé!