Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Developing Artistic Ideas Without Fear

Every creative person has been met with that wall: writer’s block, stage fright, self doubt. This is what Dr. Eric Maisel calls “creative anxiety.”

Creative anxiety can take form in many ways, from putting off a project, to avoiding any sort of artistic expression, or even keeping creative pursuit private instead of sharing with others.

In his new book, Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians & Actors from America’s Foremost Creativity Coach (New World Library), Dr. Maisel discusses creative anxiety in detail, and offers readers helpful strategies on pushing past this detrimental barrier and finding joy in all types of creative pursuits.

Creative Coach Dr. Eric Maisel

Psychotherapist Dr. Eric Maisel has written over 30 books with a range of subject matter from writing, performing, and dealing with criticism. Dr. Maisel works with the Creativity Coaching Association and with individuals on creativity issues and finding meaning and purpose with one’s creative living and pursuits.

As an inspirational writer, Dr. Maisel seeks to make it easier for those in creative fields—artists, writers, dancers, musicians—deal with the common pressures and pitfalls, such as anxiety, associated with creative lives. His guidance is offered in his much-needed book, Mastering Creative Anxiety.

What is Creative Anxiety?

Dr. Maisel tells readers that anxiety is the most-encountered problem faced by creative people. He says, “Anxiety permeates the creative process,” and this book is a guide on how to push through creative anxiety and start creating freely with joy.

Mastering Creative Anxiety gives readers 24 insightful lessons that describe sources of anxiety and lists various strategies to use in order to combat that anxiety. Dr. Maisel includes for each lesson a fictional story that reflects that particular lesson’s purpose.

This is what I found to be an essential component of the book. How many times have we been unable to relate to something, thinking, “Well, that’s not like me.” The stories Dr. Maisel includes are a chance for readers to see themselves in those particular situations and have an ah ha moment: from realizing it’s time to change perceptions about themselves, to putting an end to self-censorship, to stop convincing themselves of failure without even trying.

Pathway to Being a Successful Creator

Success to each person is defined differently, but there is no chance of achieving success without trying. To help keep readers on the path of mastering their anxiety, Dr. Maisel includes handy “recaps” after each discussion.

The Headline concisely summarizes the lesson’s ideal. The To Do recap gives readers exercises specific to that lesson on how to overcome their anxiety. The third recap provided is The Vow. This is an affirmation readers can use to take charge of their pathway to becoming a successful creator.

Anxiety-Management Techniques to Help with Expression

Mastering Creative Anxiety is a book that should be read by anyone who has an artistic expression to share. For anyone who has ever felt self-doubt in a certain project, failed to follow through on a “big” idea, or even avoided creative expression in any form because of “stage fright,” Maisel’s 24 lessons outlined in the book will serve as a starting point for a creative boom. But, as Maisel notes in the book, it’s not just enough to recognize anxiety: it must be overcome using the anxiety-management techniques he lays out.

It’s time to push past that writer’s block, time to take center stage, time to share with the world your artistry. It’s time to master your creative anxiety.

To discover this book, click > Mastering Creative Anxiety by Eric Maisel