ElizabethGilbertonnurturingcreativity.docx

ElizabethGilbertonnurturingcreativity.docx

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ElizabethGilbertonnurturingcreativity

ElizabethGilbertmusesontheimpossiblethingsweexpectfromartistsandgeniuses--andsharestheradicalideathat,insteadoftherareperson"being"agenius,allofus"have"agenius.It'safunny,personalandsurprisinglymovingtalk.

Iamawriter.Writingbooksismyprofessionbutit'smorethanthat,ofcourse.Itisalsomygreatlifelongloveandfascination.AndIdon'texpectthatthat'severgoingtochange.But,thatsaid,somethingkindofpeculiarhashappenedrecentlyinmylifeandinmycareer,whichhascausedmetohavetorecalibratemywholerelationshipwiththiswork.AndthepeculiarthingisthatIrecentlywrotethisbook,thismemoircalled"Eat,Pray,Love"which,decidedlyunlikeanyofmypreviousbooks,wentoutintheworldforsomereason,andbecamethisbig,mega-sensation,internationalbestsellerthing.TheresultofwhichisthateverywhereIgonow,peopletreatmelikeI'mdoomed.Seriously--doomed,doomed!

Like,theycomeuptomenow,allworried,andtheysay,"Aren'tyouafraid--aren'tyouafraidyou'renevergoingtobeabletotopthat?

Aren'tyouafraidyou'regoingtokeepwritingforyourwholelifeandyou'reneveragaingoingtocreateabookthatanybodyintheworldcaresaboutatall,everagain?

"

Sothat'sreassuring,youknow.Butitwouldbeworse,exceptforthatIhappentorememberthatover20yearsago,whenIfirststartedtellingpeople--whenIwasateenager--thatIwantedtobeawriter,Iwasmetwiththissamekindof,sortoffear-basedreaction.Andpeoplewouldsay,"Aren'tyouafraidyou'renevergoingtohaveanysuccess?

Aren'tyouafraidthehumiliationofrejectionwillkillyou?

Aren'tyouafraidthatyou'regoingtoworkyourwholelifeatthiscraftandnothing'severgoingtocomeofitandyou'regoingtodieonascrapheapofbrokendreamswithyourmouthfilledwithbitterashoffailure?

"（Laughter）Likethat,youknow.

Theanswer--theshortanswertoallthosequestionsis,"Yes."Yes,I'mafraidofallthosethings.AndIalwayshavebeen.AndI'mafraidofmanymanymorethingsbesidesthatpeoplecan'tevenguessat.Likeseaweed,andotherthingsthatarescary.But,whenitcomestowritingthethingthatI'vebeensortofthinkingaboutlately,andwonderingaboutlately,iswhy?

Youknow,isitrational?

IsitlogicalthatanybodyshouldbeexpectedtobeafraidoftheworkthattheyfeeltheywereputonthisEarthtodo.Youknow,andwhatisitspecificallyaboutcreativeventuresthatseemstomakeusreallynervousabouteachother'smentalhealthinawaythatothercareerskindofdon'tdo,youknow?

Likemydad,forexample,wasachemicalengineerandIdon'trecallonceinhis40yearsofchemicalengineeringanybodyaskinghimifhewasafraidtobeachemicalengineer,youknow?

Itdidn't--thatchemicalengineeringblockJohn,how'sitgoing?

Itjustdidn'tcomeuplikethat,youknow?

Buttobefair,chemicalengineersasagrouphaven'treallyearnedareputationoverthecenturiesforbeingalcoholicmanic-depressives.（Laughter）

Wewriters,wekindofdohavethatreputation,andnotjustwriters,butcreativepeopleacrossallgenres,itseems,havethisreputationforbeingenormouslymentallyunstable.Andallyouhavetodoislookattheverygrimdeathcountinthe20thcenturyalone,ofreallymagnificentcreativemindswhodiedyoungandoftenattheirownhands,youknow?

Andeventheoneswhodidn'tliterallycommitsuicideseemtobereallyundonebytheirgifts,youknow.NormanMailer,justbeforehedied,lastinterview,hesaid"Everyoneofmybookshaskilledmealittlemore."Anextraordinarystatementtomakeaboutyourlife'swork,youknow.Butwedon'tevenblinkwhenwehearsomebodysaythisbecausewe'veheardthatkindofstuffforsolongandsomehowwe'vecompletelyinternalizedandacceptedcollectivelythisnotionthatcreativityandsufferingaresomehowinherentlylinkedandthatartistry,intheend,willalwaysultimatelyleadtoanguish.

AndthequestionthatIwanttoaskeverybodyheretodayisareyouguysallcoolwiththatidea?

Areyoucomfortablewiththat--becauseyoulookatitevenfromaninchawayand,youknow--I'mnotatallcomfortablewiththatassumption.Ithinkit'sodious.AndIalsothinkit'sdangerous,andIdon'twanttoseeitperpetuatedintothenextcentury.Ithinkit'sbetterifweencourageourgreatcreativemindstolive.

AndIdefinitelyknowthat,inmycase--inmysituation--itwouldbeverydangerousformetostartsortofleakingdownthatdarkpathofassumption,particularlygiventhecircumstancethatI'minrightnowinmycareer.Whichis--youknow,likecheckitout,I'mprettyyoung,I'monlyabout40yearsold.Istillhavemaybeanotherfourdecadesofworkleftinme.Andit'sexceedinglylikelythatanythingIwritefromthispointforward