Creativity is getting new attention in today’s America––along the way revealing fault lines in U.S. culture. Surveys show people overwhelmingly seeing creativity as both a desirable trait and a work enhancement, yet most say they just aren’t creative. Like beauty and wealth, creativity seems universally desired but insufficiently possessed. Businesses likewise see innovation as essential to productivity and growth, but can’t bring themselves to risk new ideas. Even as one’s "inner artist" is hyped by a booming self-help industry, creative education dwindles in U.S. schools. Anxious Creativity: When Imagination Fails examines this conceptual mess, while focusing on how America’s current edginess dampens creativity in everyone. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Anxious Creativity draws on current ideas in the social sciences, economics, and the arts. Discussion centers on the knotty problem of reconciling the expressive potential in all people with the nation’s tendency to reward only a few. Fortunately, there is some good news, as scientists, economists, and creative professionals have begun advocating new ways of sharing and collaboration. Building on these prospects, the book argues that America’s innovation crisis demands a rethinking of individualism, competition, and the ways creativity is rewarded.

Being a creative with a job-to-pay-the-bills is not easy. Between the lack of consideration from society in general, the ever-growing costs of living, and the demands of adulthood, it is more and more difficult to find time and energy to create.Have you ever been super excited for a project, only to lose all motivation before you finished? Have you felt so tired that you could not bring yourself to do anything artistic? Have you felt so down on yourself about not doing anything that you started to doubt you had any talents in the first place?I know these feelings, because I've had them too! I am a writer, and all along my career I've tried to find a good balance so that I could keep writing while earning a living. It was a difficult battle. I've had day jobs in several different industries, from science to theatre. I've been so burned out at times that I didn't write for months. I've felt so low about my writing that I didn't perform well in my job. I've had so little free time that I neglected my relationships and my mental health.Thankfully, these years of struggle have taught me a lot, and I decided that I should share that knowledge and experience with other artists. This is why I have decided to write this book, The Part-Time Artist.In my book, I talk about my experience and all the lessons I've learned on my path to becoming a writer. I strongly believe that these lessons can be valuable to all of you. It doesn't matter if you are a writer like me, or a painter, or an actor, or a musician, or a designer, or any other type of artists. I know we all face the same struggles!When you get a copy of the book, here are some of the things you'll get: * An easy way to build productive habits to do more art on a daily basis* The common myth about the tortured artist, and why you don't have to be one* A step-by-step guide to build a business plan for your artistic career* The best way to set goals for your creativity* A strategy to make your day job work with your art (instead of the other way around!)* And much more!Not only that, but you will also benefit from several resources and useful tools, such as a weekly planner, a budget tool, a business spreadsheet and a FREE workbook

In his decades as a psychotherapist and creativity coach, Eric Maisel has found a common thread behind what often gets labeled "writer's block," "procrastination," or "stage fright." It's the particular anxiety that, paradoxically, keeps creators from doing, completing, or sharing the work they are driven toward. This "creative anxiety" can take the form of avoiding the work, declaring it not good enough, or failing to market it -- and it can cripple creators for decades, even lifetimes. But Maisel has learned what sets successful creators apart. He shares these strategies here, including artist-specific stress management; how to work despite bruised egos, day jobs, and other inevitable frustrations; and what not to do to deal with anxiety. Implementing these 24 lessons replaces the pain of not creating with the profound rewards of free artistic self-expression. * Practical insights and proven techniques for overcoming the challenges and fears that plague creators of every kind * Teaching tales that convey effective approaches to creating fearlessly and abundantly

'I always keep a copy of Art & Fear on my bookshelf' JAMES CLEAR, author of the #1 best-seller Atomic Habits 'A book for anyone and everyone who wants to face their fears and get to work' DEBBIE MILLMAN, author and host of the podcast Design Matters 'A timeless cult classic ... I've stolen tons of inspiration from this book over the years and so will you' AUSTIN KLEON, NYTimes bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist 'The ultimate pep talk for artists. ... An invaluable guide for living a creative, collaborative life.' WENDY MACNAUGHTON, illustrator Art & Fear is about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. Drawing on the authors' own experiences as two working artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making art in the real world, and shows how they can be overcome every day. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. Written by artists for artists, it offers generous and wise insight into what it feels like to sit down at your easel or keyboard, in your studio or performance space, trying to do the work you need to do. Every artist, whether a beginner or a prizewinner, a student or a teacher, faces the same fears - and this book illuminates the way through them.

A unique guided journal of meditative and creative processes for readers and doodlers seeking relief from anxiety and stress. What if we took our stress and used it to create art that brings us peace? A 2016 study at Drexel university that examined the effects of creative activity on reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol discovered that “forty-five minutes of art making . . . resulted in statistically significant lowering of cortisol levels.” We all know cortisol is the stress hormone, so grab a pen or pencil and let the meditations and writing prompts in this mindfulness journal take you on a calming journey to a healthier, happier mind. T.S. Eliot once said, “Anxiety is the handmaiden of creativity,” but if he had this creative journal during times of worry, he surely would have said creativity was the handmaiden to peace. With this friendly, calming companion, you will find that you are much more present in the here and now. When used as self-expression, creativity can allow us to take part in what psychologists call “sublimation,” or the transformation of negative or socially unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable or even beautiful creations. Anxious Art offers inventive prompts, art projects, and affirmations to inspire artistic activities that distract from feelings of distress and anxiety. As you experience this transformative guided journal, you will work with:Lyrical affirmations that build self-confidence and reduce fearTherapeutic writing exercises that root you in the present and spark joyDoodling that calms your emotionsGuided breathing exercises that bring you into the present moment

From physician and neuroscientist Russell Kennedy, MD comes an award-winning book that offers a revolutionary, life-changing approach to healing anxiety. Break the cycle of anxiety with the newly upgraded and expanded second edition. After years of trying different therapies for his debilitating anxiety without success, Dr. Russell Kennedy had an epiphany: anxiety does not start in the brain. Anxiety starts in the body, where trauma is stored and physical and emotional perception begin. Alarm bells originating in the body are what trigger those anxious thoughts that we call anxiety, and Russ realized that true healing starts only when we learn not to conflate the two. He understood that existing therapies focused only on the mind would never get to the root of the problem—at best, they could help manage symptoms, but they’d never truly heal anxiety. Wanting to make a difference for the millions who suffer from anxiety disorder, Russ created Anxiety Rx, a book that blends his personal story with medical science, neuroscience, and developmental psychology. Readers learn how to sever the connection between the somatic alarm and the flood of anxious thoughts—in the process they begin to heal old trauma and gain a sense of control previously unknown. Russ offers techniques not only for our thinking minds, but for our feeling bodies, changing not just our mindset, but our “body-set.” Unraveling the intricate relationship between anxiety, the body, and the mind, Anxiety Rx offers a profound path toward healing and growth.

Over time, our anxiety builds up; it either implodes or explodes. My anxiety has gotten me to that point several times. I'm Tiisetso Maloma and I am an Anxious Entrepreneur. Through the years I have stumbled across, and even formulated, some anxiety-defusing techniques. Entrepreneurship is nerve wrecking, especially when things are not going according to your plan. This is probably most of the time.This is because entrepreneurs, rightfully so, are always focused on achieving certain goals. We pursue opportunities we have always thought to be lucrative and this creates great expectations. We pine over visions, we obsess about how to reach those goals and even go as far as imagining how many units our products will sell. The funny thing is, nobody has control over reality and things don't always pan out the way we had envisioned them. Subconsciously, we are shaken when our expectations are not met and this gets us anxious and at times depressed. It should not come as a surprise that entrepreneurs are more prone to mental pains than the general population. A study entitled, "Are Entrepreneurs Touched with Fire", by Dr Michael Freeman, surveyed 242 entrepreneurs; 174 (72%) of them had mental health concerns, 118 (49%) had one or more lifelong mental health condition and 13 (5.4%) of them were suicidal - the numbers are rounded off. If you are doing the math right now, you will realise that some of them fell into all three categories. In contrast to entrepreneurs, the world's lifetime depression prevalence, as measured by the World Health Organization, ranges from 3% to 17%. I am the top-dog at being anxious and to make it worse, I dabble in a couple of projects all at the same time. Some call that Parallel Entrepreneurship. It is crazy. I am always anxious about multiple things. Anxiety plays out like this...It invades our productivity and therefore our goals. All it takes is to not see progress in a day, then a week or a month. The next thing you know, you are standing at the peak of the highest anxiety hill, depressingly recalling your record of failures and doubting your future.Well, this book tells of several anxiety-causing incidents, set in different situations, which you are likely to relate to. This book does not concern itself with defining anxiety or depression or any other mental disorders. It is not an academic journal either. It is fun. It is a collection of anecdotes, emotions, feelings, frustrations and philosophies that will show you that, when anxiety is removed from your entrepreneurial process, creativity reaches its optimum.You cannot be anxious and creative at the same time. Anxiety and creativity cannot coexist, so one must give way for the other. Anxiety trumps creativity and creativity trumps anxiety.The Anxious Entrepreneur is for aspiring and start-up entrepreneurs. It will get you in tune with the ventures you love and introduce you to robust ways of pursuing them. It will at best encourage you to look at new ways to deal with anxiety and at the very least provide you with some perspective.Unintentionally, this book is also about marketing and branding, which remains a headache for entrepreneurs, especially start-ups. It is also about:* Ways of coming up with unthought-of opportunities * Keeping you going with the bare essentials and making progress with limited resources * Tapping into your potential and making good ground * How to gain the hustle and refuel it* Testing business ideas without committing massive resources* How not to let the fear of 'failure reputation' stop and throttle you* Tactful networking

Updated to provide a modern look at the daily stessors evolving in our ever changing society, Managing Stress: Skills for Self-Care, Personal Resiliency and Work-Life Balance in a Rapidly Changing World, Tenth Edition provides a comprehensive approach to stress management, honoring the balance and harmony of the mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Referred to as the “authority on stress management” by students and professionals, this book equips readers with the tools needed to identify and manage stress while also coaching on how to strive for health and balance in these changing times. The holistic approach taken by internationally acclaimed lecturer and author Brian Luke Seaward gently guides the reader to greater levels of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being by emphasizing the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection.

Children are often reluctant to speak about their worries, which makes it difficult to know how serious their concerns are and how you can support them. This guide offers quick-to-action parenting solutions, effective coping strategies and simple lifestyle changes to help you help your child express their feelings and manage their anxiety.