Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians, and Actors from Americas Foremost Creativity Coach by Eric Maisel

Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians, and Actors from Americas Foremost Creativity Coach Reviews

• 
  Lisa Pollytickle

  Dare I say it? This book doesn't just provide advice for writing or other creative activities, but for life. Yes, life. Because what is life but our biggest creative activity? I just read Chapter 2 and cried. For I have found my block, my avoidance, my sense of not mattering. Reading this chapter was profound enough for me not to read the rest of the book and still give it 5 stars. I am sure that most readers will find this in at least one chapter. And if you don't, we'll you're probably already living a full, creative life, so wouldn't be picking up a book on creative anxiety anyway. Oh, the practical exercises in the book are a great and very simple way to reinforce the learning too. I probably don't need to say, I highly recommend this for anyone who finds themselves procrastinating, in anything.
• 
  Magdalena

  I first came across Mastering Creative Anxiety through a DailyOM course. Each of the lessons was presented as a tidy weekly nugget designed to address the specific types of anxiety that visit creative artists: writers, painters, musicians, actors, and so on. When I began the course I wouldn't have used the word anxiety to describe the many reasons why I hadn't finished a novel that I'd been working on for several yars, but I knew that I had to do something different to up the urgency, and push through the wall of excuses I'd built around myself. What the course did, and what this book does, is to strip away those excuses and make obvious the reasons why I hadn't progressed at the rate I wanted to. Maisel's techniques helped me dramatically in the short term, allowing me to prioritise my creative work, cope with my avoidance mechanisms, and complete that novel within a few months of doing the course. In the longer term, it also helped me accept that achieving my creative vision will never be easy, and that there will always be a wide range of anxieties associated with doing it. I suspect that I’ll be returning to this book repeatedly, at various points through each of my larger projects – whenever I need reminding that creative work is utterly necessary for me, and that the anxiety which I'm struggling with can be managed.
  
  What I particularly like about Maisel is that, unlike many other authors offering self-help advice, he never resorts to hype, or over-simplifies the difficulties that the reader might be going through. There’s no cheerleading or irritating platitudes about the inevitability of success. Part of creativity is the inherent risk. There are all sorts of very real risks, including the risk of failing, of compromising, of ruining the work, of ego bruising. All of these outcomes can and will happen to any artist that is attempting to make meaning through his or her work. These risks lead to anxiety, which takes many forms but amounts to the same thing:
  
  

  There is clearly no simple answer to this dilemma, which is yet another reason that you must learn to manage your anxiety. The anxiety is coming; it will accompany you as you try to address your survival needs, which may be literally more of the time. (60)

  
  
  Basically there’s one key takeaway from the book and that’s to “expect anxiety, and deal with it.” It may sound facile, but it most certainly isn’t. Maisel is an expert who has devoted much of his professional life to addressing artistic anxiety and its many manifestations. He not only uses a range of tools to tease out the forms in which that anxiety tends to take, but helps artists find ways to come to terms with, and manage that anxiety. It is part and parcel of the artistic life, and for those who feel the calling, there is no option but to learn to deal with it. Avoidance causes as much if not more anxiety as creating, and choosing not to work is still a choice. Facing the fear is the only way to become a happy, fulfilled artist, and Maisel illuminates this key existential point without whitewashing or over-simplifying the problems that artists face.
  
  
  There are 24 different lessons each of which focus on a different type of anxiety and a different method for dealing with it. The techniques are practical, multi-functional, and most have proven their efficacy over time. Maisel is never didactic, and doesn't qualify any one method. Each one is presented as one of a number of possible options. Each chapter looks closely at a particular type of anxiety, defining it clearly, and then presenting an “Headline” that summarises it. There is then a “To do” exercise, a “Vow”, a “Teaching Tale” to illustrate the lesson’s point, and an “Anxiety Mastery Menu” which contains specific techniques to try. The repetitive structure is easy to follow, and provides a tool for artists to return to repeatedly when the inevitable anxiety monster strikes.
  
  The anxiety mastery techniques are particularly powerful, providing techniques that range from the complex, such as making decisions and changing attitudes, to the simple and specific, such as deep breathing, incantation, and relaxation exercises. sing the book as a workbook and taking it a chapter at a time, one week or so per chapter, works very well, allowing time to clarify what the anxiety hotspots are, and which techniques are most effective.
  
  If you’re an artist–an author, a painter, a musician or an actor–who has chosen to live a creative life, you can’t avoid anxiety. It’s part of the process, inherent in the work you do. Coming to grips with that anxiety can be the difference between working and not working, which can be the difference between a fulfilled life that has meaning and one that is unsatisfying and meaningless. Mastering Creative Anxiety is a powerful, well-written book that every artist can benefit from, moving towards recognising and working effectively through the inevitable anxiety that comes with the vocation.
  
  
  Article first published as
  Book Review: Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians, and Actors from America's Foremost Creativity Coach by Eric Maisel on Blogcritics.
• 
  Emma Sea

  Stoopid annoying book. I should have quit reading it. Every minute on this was a minute spent for no gain.
  
  The worst feature was that at the end of every chapter there's a story about Phoebe, and her journey with creativity. Please take Phoebe away and never make me read about her again. Below is a section from one of her stories. They just go on and on. I bet you can't finish it (there were three more pages before those ones).
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Kelly Lynn Thomas

  I think this book is important because creative anxiety is definitely A Thing, and not enough books address it as such. This would have gotten a higher star rating, but there are these odd morality tales about overcoming creative anxiety in every chapter that were just... odd. I don't feel they added much to the book's message, which is, "You're going to get anxious, here are ways to deal with it." The explorations in each chapter of the different sources of anxiety are great, and the techniques provided on how to overcome that anxiety were also great.
  
  Bottom line: Read this if you're a creative person, but you can safely skip the "teaching tales."
• 
  Claire Brear

  Highly challenging book with very practical handles on how to manage creative anxiety. I found it a little distressing at first - quite dry and ‘no nonsense’ and not particularly warm or encouraging - but by the end appreciated the direct approach the author has. He names, describes and outlines a range of creative anxieties (from the fear of success to the fear of repetition) and provides a series of techniques with accompanying parables in each chapter. The book is best used as a resource to develop your own personal anxiety management toolkit when it comes to tackling creative anxiety. As the author says in closing - ‘if you want the results, do the work.’
• 
  Eric Beaty

  Spent nearly a year reading this book off and on; alas, I decided to finally give up on it. Way too much psychological and mystical mumbo jumbo for me.
  
  All the little stories included seem more like an attempt at writing fiction or fairy tales rather than serving as helpful advice. And some of the techniques described seem a little awkward and far fetched.
  
  I recommend The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, or Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury instead. Much better information and help for overcoming creative anxiety, especially when it comes to writing.
• 
  Brad McKenna

  Quick Note Review:
  
  The use of !s and the overall tone make it feel like a YA self-help book. It seems to be ovrsimplifying things. The teaching tales also felt oversimplified and I skimmed the later ones. That said, I did get a fair amount out of the book.
  
  If not creating and creating both provoke anxiety, then I may as well create. I’ll have anxiety either way. (2)
  
  The Incanting Step on page 11 reminds me of the saying “there’s no rush!” I really need to take that one to heart.
  
  The prep techniques on pages 14-15:
  
  “Because a great deal of the anxiety we experience is anticipatory, carefully preparing is the key to reducing this type of anxiety.”
  I should curate playlists and outline my chapters, in detail, ahead of time.
  
  The Chapter 4 vow hits home: “I must be myself. That will provoke anxiety and I will deal with it.” (p.37)
  I’m afraid to stand out and be myself but at the same time I put so much pressure on myself to make the world a better place, it’s why I feel guilty writing fiction when I have a NF in the worlds to help other deafos and continue Antiracist work.
  
  Chapter 12, the Anxiety of Thinking reminds me of Fredrick Backman’s advice “Think about your story often.”
  
• 
  Shariza Abdoelhak

  Very straightforward approach to dealing with every-day anxiety. There are helpful tools and strategies to help navigate every-day problems that life inevitably throws at you, but I wouldn't say it's especially a self-help book for creatives. The book tackles any stress-related, mundane issues anyone might face on a daily basis and that works, if you're the type of person to actually go through with every step this guide tells you to take.
  
  If you truly suffer from anxiety, are the type to postpone and procrastinate because you think you're never enough to do even the most simple creative tasks, then this book will do nothing for you.
  
  I wouldn't go as far as to say that this book is unhelpful as such; I just didn't 'master' my creative anxiety by going through these steps. Having said that, I might also be doing this book injustice since, as the chaotic, impatient creative I am, I didn't have much patience actually following each and every step - and sticking to it. Must be my creative anxiety.
  
• 
  Sharon

  I have the great good fortune to know many artistic people. I am, myself, an author.
  
  What I have learned over time is that every artistic person I know, myself included, suffers from creative anxiety. It doesn't matter whether we're the most raw beginner or an experienced best-seller. I know this, because I've asked people.
  
  The good news is that there are practical things that can help with that -- and this book is chock-full of them. I took it slowly, reading and absorbing one chapter at a time, so that I could understand the tools. None of them make anxiety go away, but they help you deal with it in the creative milieu specifically. Some may sound familiar to those who have been through cognitive behavioral therapy, but there's more than that.
  
  I have a new set of tools for my authorial armamentarium because of this book, and I plan to use them. Highly recommended.
• 
  Ashleigh Gauch

  I'm giving this book five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed both the silly "teaching tales" (which were written in simplistic language but nonetheless often added to the lesson) and because using some of the techniques for anxiety management has worked for me so far. It's nice to see a book that addresses some of the specific anxieties related to creatives, and his no nonsense approach to success and failure rang true to me.
  
  I can see why some people would find some of his writing techniques annoying. Maybe I'm influenced by my heritage: being haida, listening to morality tales and learning the deeper meanings was ingrained in my childhood, so it came naturally to me here. If you can put aside cynicism and try out a few suggestions, I doubt you'll stay disappointed for long
• 
  Stefanie

  One of the most influential books on creativity I ever read. There is no such thing as artist's block, there's only a myriad of fears creative people face every day. I found myself in almost every situation Maisel pictures. And believe me, it was a big relieve to notice that all my creative fears are common. Maisel offers a multitude of techniques to beat them, but to me his strongest message is: you can live through it, other people did and you can do it, too. No matter what, never stop creating!
• 
  Leila

  What this book really serves as is a catalog of all the different kinds of anxiety a creative person experiences throughout the creative process. It lays out the whys of procrastination and avoidance as they pertain specifically to the creative. If you’ve ever spent years being frustrated with yourself at your lack of progress on whatever creative endeavor you’ve wanted to undertake, this book makes you feel like less of a freak, and it gives you some places to regather yourself and start fresh. The coping techniques are not revolutionary, but they are well explained.
• 
  Katrina Dreamer

  This will be a book I dip back into now and again when I’m faced with the various types of anxiety Maisel discusses, many of which I recognized quite well. I imagine it will also be a book I recommend frequently and utilize when meeting with students. Really excellent.
• 
  Mattia

  A must-read for all creatives. I didn't love the stories in each chapter, but I didn't hate them. And the rest of the content was concise and excellent, so just skip the stories if you don't like them.
• 
  Lex

  Pretty good. I felt the stories were a bit cheesy, so I basically skipped over them. I will be sure to check out some of the solutions he suggested!
• 
  Kate

  Great advice, but I couldn't get through the teaching stories. Definitely four stars if I disregard those completely (though they may be useful for others).
• 
  Flow

  30%
• 
  Nita

  “Love is the spirit that motivates the artist's journey.” - Eric Maisel
  
  As anyone who reads my blog or receives the newsletter knows, I suffer from various forms of malaise that might be called "writer's block." As soon as I read the title
  Mastering Creative Anxiety, I knew this book would help. I ordered the book and began using the lessons immediately.
  
  Why this book? First, the title alone properly identified the problem. According to creativity coach, Eric Maisel, I don't actually have a block. What I have is anxiety around creating. I also grow anxious around some non-writing activities, but this was the first time I'd named what went on in my head when I sat down to write as anxiety.
  
  Second, the book is practical. It offers twenty-two specific tools and examples of how to use them. I appreciate that Maisel gets to the solution quickly so I'm not muddling around. I already know I've got a problem. I want to know what to do about it.
  
  Third, Maisel's tone and strategies are both firm and kind. There's no shame in this book and no slacking either. Gently, yet clearly, he explains that success depends on applying the suggestions.
  
  Fourth, and possibly most important, Maisel addresses all the different aspects of the creative life and the appropriate tool for that stage in the process. One day I'm tackling the rough draft. One or two tools (including a technique very similar to writing practice) works for that. Another day I'm in the revision process. A different tool helps there. In the promotion process, still another method is offered. Realistically, the book approaches different aspects of creativity in different ways.
  
  The jury is still out, of course. I am working on, but have not yet finished the current revisions nor once again taken up promotion which I set aside awhile back. I'll let you know how it goes.
  
  

  In the meantime, do you recognize anxiety in your process? If so, what techniques work for you in the various stages of the writing life? I'd love to hear about it on my blog,
  Bum Glue.
• 
  Frances Livings

  Definitely read-worthy! Eris Maisel's "Mastering Creative Anxiety" is a very helpful book if you are an artist but always feel you "should" be creating more or if you struggle sometimes with procrastination, i.e anxiety – anxiety you didn't even know you had until you read how it can sometimes stem from seemingly unrelated areas. I like the validation he gives, and I quite like the story-telling mode (although I usually skip the little "example stories" in grey boxes, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars). The author's tone (who is a psychotherapist), is like a kind and wise uncle giving useful insights and tips, neatly packaged together, like the following about creating order in your life versus being messy:
  
  "All day long you are supposed to get things right: drive on the correct side of the road, show up for appointments, balance your checkbook, appropriately respond to your email, and so on. Your whole day and your whole mind are aimed at not making mistakes, not making messes, not getting yourself into trouble, avoiding unnecessary risks, and looking right to the world. Then, somehow, you must shift from that way of being and thinking to a radically different state, one in which mistakes and messes are not only possible and probable but downright guaranteed. Of course that makes you anxious! And yet that is exactly what you must do, enter that darkness where nothing is guaranteed and where you may spend two years writing a novel that never comes alive or painting one landscape after another that doesn’t match your hopes or aspirations. Despite such unhappy outcomes, that is exactly where you must go! — to a place very different from the place where you go to balance your checkbook."
  
  Maisel, Eric. Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians & Actors from America's Foremost Creativity Coach (pp. 109-110). New World Library. Kindle Edition.
• 
  Debbie Hoskins

  In 2012, this was my favorite of Maisel's books. In the Fall of 2013, the best book continues to be the older book, Fearless Creating. Eric probably won't like this, but if you can only buy one book it would be Fearless Creating. Maisel's exercises and techniques in many of his books (he's written a lot) are very interesting, and helpful to try out, but I've forgotten most of them even though I have done a lot of writing and practicing with them. A couple I still remember and use. What stands out is the understanding and compassion Maisel feels for the creative process. He is a guide, explainer of the issues creative people struggle with, and a helper.
  
  In the beginning a menu presents 22 techniques for mastering anxiety. Maisel has written about anxiety in his past books. However this book summarizes, expands, and introduces new material for a thorough study on coping with anxiety that is encountered in the creative process. The 24 chapters pinpoint some of the exact issues I struggle with. I would suggest reading the book slowly and journaling about the issues. Highlight passages and write in the book.
  Each chapter contains a teaching tale, which discusses the topic, but is a delightful, philosophical short story. Not only do the tales showcase Eric Maisel's thoughtfulness, but prove that his own mastery over anxiety has produced writing that is creative art.
  Excellently organized, each chapter expounds on each technique in the anxiety mastering menu.
  I'm going very slowly with this, but find it comforting. As I got to the end, I saw and understood the anxiety that success can cause, even though I'm not anywhere near where I wanted to be success-wise. Maisel's point is that you have to find meaning and learn how to deal with anxiety because every step of the creative process is full of anxiety.
• 
  Samantha Stein

  Sometimes you read a book exactly when you need to read it most. This was one of those books. When I started I thought, "How many different kinds of creative anxiety could there possibly be?" and also "Oh, I think I just have *that* one". Turns out my anxiety (and not just about creating) has been constructed rather precariously, and once you start to examine one type, the rest come crashing down.
  
  The stories with the muses were a little cutesy, but overall it was a pretty helpful book for me.
  
  Now to try and put it into action.
• 
  Jennifer Louden

  I love Eric's work for so many reasons - it's fact based, helpful, realistic and at the same time deeply committed to the magic of creativity. If you struggle to create, many of his books will serve you.
• 
  Brittany

  I think this book was great. I really enjoyed how the book was set up and gave stories as an example. I was a little let down that the book was ending because it was an easy read and I obtained a lot from it. I would recommend this book
• 
  Danielle

  Only hit about the 10% mark but that's about as far as I'm gunna get. It is way to exestentialist for me. sound basics, but I can't help but laugh....
• 
  Lacey

  Will definitely keep this book close at hand and read it again.