FEAR AS A CREATIVE FORCE

What gets in the way of your creativity?

How can you forge ahead despite your anxiety?

In this newsletter I will describe four areas that can trigger fear and include some tips that may be useful.

1.    Failure

2.    Exposure

3.    Abandonment

4.    Rejection

1.     Failure:  One of the more common fears writers face is that of failure.  This is especially difficult when writers are isolated.  Think of times that you were successful with a project.  What were you doing?  How were you feeling?  Who gave you positive feedback?  Jot down these experiences and put them somewhere you can see them.  When you begin to encounter feelings of failure, your list will be a reminder of your accomplishments.

2.     Exposure:  Writers often hide behind writing techniques as a way to avoid writing honestly and from the heart.  The fear of others discovering who they really are through their writing is a common ailment that writers face.  A suggestion that I came up with while thinking about my previous work as a child therapist is to visualize yourself as a child without protective barriers.  Imagine what it would be like to have others expectations mean nothing to you.  Go to a park or playground and observe children at play.  You will discover how children are fearless, spontaneous and imaginative in their creative outlets.  It is amazing to behold.  Although we may never be able to recreate our childhood in such a way, you can be inspired by the innocence that this experience brings.  Another technique that may be useful for a writer is to pick a time in the day that you feel the most confident.  Take advantage of this moment and write.  I will quote Arthur Miller who said the best work that anybody ever writes is the work that is on the verge of embarrassing him, always.

3.     Abandonment:  Since writers often write about who as well as what they know, they often experience being alienated from family and friends.  An effective way to help cope with this issue is to visualize how you would deal with someone whose opinion you are most concerned about.  What would this person say about your work?  How would you respond to this person?  Try role playing the scene with someone you trust.

4.     Rejection:  Many writers experience a block in their writing after their work has been rejected.  How writers deal with the discouragement that comes with rejection varies from writer to writer.  However, as in many situations in life, there are simply two roads that you can take:

a.     give up

b.     push forward

To keep the fires burning, a writer must be willing to ask for help when he/she needs it.  The support of a writers                                                                                                                          group set out to encourage writers and their work can be useful.  Ralph Keyes stated in his book The Courage to Write In writing, as in so many pursuits, its not the gifted but the most determined who succeed.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH:

What tips do you rely on to ease your fear of writing?

 Send me an email with your responses.  I will include your answers to the questions I pose each month in my newsletter.  If I use one of your responses, I will contact you first to see if you want your name and email listed next to it.  Your confidentiality will be honored if you choose not to have your personal information listed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Collazo is a licensed clinical social worker and personal and professional coach who specializes in working with what Julia Cameron describes as blocked creatives in her book The Artists Way.  Her clinical skills, along with her passion for film has led her to develop a career as a coach for screenwriters.  She assists screenwriters in broadening their creative horizons and gets them in touch with what they are most passionate about.  She inspires screenwriters to craft their best work by helping them set small manageable goals.  Her skills as a coach have also been useful for writers in general.  Ms. Collazo offers individual virtual coaching sessions and group teleclasses for writers.  She can be reached via email or phone at:

LcollazoSW@aol.com

512-445-7498

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