This is a TED Talk video from Elizabeth Gilbert:
This is what it’s about:
Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.
(From: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html, Last accessed: Saturday 20th April 2013.)
After Elizabeth Gilbert‘s best selling book Eat, Pray, Love she went in search of a psychological construct to deal with her work and her natural anxiety about writing her next book.
What I like about Elizabeth Gilbert‘s talk is her use of humour and storytelling. She looks at creative people in history and how they managed their anxiety; as well as talking about brushing up against devine creativity. I found myself in agreement with everything that she says and certainly related to brushing up against devine creative. I’ve had inspiration and ideas appear from nowhere in my mind and in these cases it feels Like they are not coming from me, but from somewhere else.
I have shown and shared this video with the many creative people in my life. The feelings were mixed. Some agreed with all of what she says, some agree with bits and some totally disagree. I guess it’s a perspective thing.
In the near future I will be sharing some of my short stories as free downloads. I’m stomach wrenchingly nervous about it. But the having a genius concept makes me feel less anxious. If people don’t like my short stories my genius can take the blame.
Blog soon,
Antony
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