![The Writer's [Inner] Journey](/wp-content/themes/thesis_151/custom/images/header2.png "The Writer's [Inner] Journey")
by Carol Grannick
Chiaroscuro (kiːˈɑːrə.ˈskʊroʊ, –ˈskjʊroʊ, Italian for light-dark) in art is characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for using contrasts of light to achieve a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects such as the human body. (from Wikipedia)
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A Caravaggio painting can take my breath away. A lunar eclipse, when the shadow cuts the light, entrances me.
Consider, though, the dark without the light, the shadow crossing the moon and staying. Many who think and write about the inner creative experience believe that the “shadow” part of the artist’s life is normal. That, specifically, in our writing lives, our anxieties, fears, doubts, need to be welcomed in order to deepen and enrich our characters, stories and plots.
I would agree. In part. Because all feelings, including the negative, “shadow” feelings, pass.
Unless they don’t. What about writers who struggle with the shadow that threatens to control them? What are the options for those writers who feel depleted and distracted by negativity, and for whom all-too-frequent negative thinking diminishes energy, productivity and creativity? What happens, then, to the resilience that is so essential for a writer’s perseverance?
At these times all the statements in the world about how important it is to “stay resilient” can feel like just another failure.
Because “just do it” doesn’t work if you don’t know how.
I believe without question that acceptance and welcoming of negative emotion is integral to the creative life, indeed to life itself. Negative emotions flow naturally from experiences like loss, hurt, disappointment. But unnecessary and prolonged negativity – self-doubt, fear, disappointment, jealousy based on irrational thought – diminishes the brain’s capacity to be open, creative, curious and productive.
The heart-heaviness that spews unproductive negative self-talk and even depression is not beneficial to our writing or the quality and meaning of our lives.
Learning how to reduce that negativity and seed more heartfelt positive emotions (not smiley-faced affirmations) into our writing lives increases energy and creativity, and builds and maintains the resilience essential to perseverence. Serious learned and practiced positivity gives greater meaning to our lives in general – and that’s not bad.
The writing life is not only for the naturally resilient, or for those who live the myth of the tortured but persistent artist. Substantial research in the field of Positive Psychology (POSITIVITY, Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., Crown Books 2009) provides a growing number of tools to diminish the excess negativity that, rather than enhancing our work, keeps us from it.
We should, by all means, welcome the darkness as natural and normal. But we should also remember how breathtaking, in contrast, is the light.
Carol Grannick is a writer and clinical social worker in private practice. She blogs at The Irrepressible Writer about learning and maintaining resilience for the writing life.
Photo credit: chris.bryant
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this – I really needed to hear that!
“Learning how to reduce that negativity and seed more heartfelt positive emotions … into our writing lives increases energy and creativity ..” Such an interesting approach to the writing life, but also to life in general!
What an interesting approach. Welcome the dark because it enhances the light. I love it. Thanks.
Your thoughts remind me of some of the current research into happiness that I’ve read. We have this idea that happiness is the absence of sadness, whereas having times of sadness help us appreciate and relish the happy moments more. I guess it’s all the ying-yang type of view of life. Maybe, as you say, the same could be true of the writing life–times of emptiness can help drive you to make the most of times of high creativity.
Why do we all experience such negativity! Aarrgh, frustrating when it comes and hangs around for awhile. I agree (hesitantly) that you need the darkness, though, to appreciate the freedom that the light brings.
I think all writers struggle with this on some level. I was especially interested in how you introduced the topic by mentioning chiaroscuro. Classical singers also learn about chiaroscuro as it relates to the voice. Too dark and the voice can sound heavy. Too light and it lacks depth/substance. The right balance is warm, rich, full, and expressive, similar to the right balance of color and light in a painting.
Appreciating the good by embracing the bad – I like this approach. It’s so easy for the negative self-talk to take over a writer’s mind.
Excellent post, and I agree that all writers – and probably all creatives – struggle with this.
Excellent post. I also believe that exploring the dark — and not avoiding it — leads to better work.
Here’s to overcoming unproductive negative self-talk when writing — and in most other aspects of life as well.
Love the notion of embracing the dark to bring on the light. Love it.
Beautifully put. I struggle against the darkness in my writing and my art as I’m sure every creative person does.
I have a lot of negative self-talk to overcome this week. And not just as it pertains to writing. I wish my brain didn’t so often go to a dark place. Thanks for this.
Thanks, Carol. You put it beautifully. No matter how well I do in my writing or other aspects of my life, the shadow has a way of returning over and over. I agree with your idea about accepting that. It’s evidently part of who I am and so be it. I find that when the shadow evokes negative thoughts and feelings about my writing, it helps to look back at what I’ve been able to do well and the positive feedback I’ve received – concrete evidence of both my potential and the fact that the shadow is, in fact, an imposter.
Such a perfect stop-and-think-post. You really made me think about new ways to reduce the negativity when I sit down to work on creative non-fiction projects. I’m also going to refer back to your article for my copywriting work, too. It’s helpful in finding new ways to deal with client feedback that can be creatively stunting. Thank you!