Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Negativity and How To Deal With it..





Today, I would like to talk about how negativity can affect our creativity, and well just about everything else.

Have you ever walked into room feeling really good, then the moment you step in, there's this stifling, tension in the air. You can literally feel it. Suddenly, your good mood turns into apprehension. You can't help it. When everyone around you barely acknowledges that you've entered and said "good morning", or simply sits with that "woe-ez me look on their somber face, how else are you supposed to react?

If you are anything like me,you will be very sensitive to the emotional vibes other people are giving off. I'm a writer, it's part of my nature to read people, watch and record how they act and react to the physical and emotional stimuli around them. I've gotten so good at this that I'm just about able to feel their positive or negative energy. Okay that sounds a bit creepy. However, it is true. I bet there are thousands of writers like myself that can do this.

There are two choices we need to make when faced with negative attitudes, people or situations.

One, we can succumb to the source of the negative evil...
or two, we can chose to lock out those "bad vibes" and conquer the source before it takes hold of us. But how do we do this?

That's the beauty of being a writer! That's right! We as writers have a unique talent that allows us to make even the most horrible of situations into something positive. Simply put, writing allows us to redirect these negative feelings into the stories and characters we create. That's awesome! We can release our emotions, that may otherwise, fester and boil over into potential harmful or self depreciating reaction.

Okay maybe I'm being a bit dramatic on that last part....or maybe not. The point is we can use writing as a tool to not only better ourselves, but to help us deal with those irritating daily stresses that can bringing us down.

For me writing is not only something I love to do, it is also a source of positive motivation. It keeps my thoughts clear and my feelings happy. When my day isn't going quite the way I want it to, I know I can sit in front of my Laptop and just write...doesn't matter what. Could be a rant to the gods of literature about how awful my day was, or a simple rhyme. It is an outlet.

I always look forward to going home after a long day at the "day job" to work on my next project or to catch up on my blog reading... Writing is the most positive thing in my life, well the second most positive thing, my husband and daughter rank number one!

So the next time you walk into a room and the tension is so thick you can slice it with an axe, or you just have a hard case of the blues...pull out a book if reading is your relax time, sit at your PC, or grab a pencil and paper if writing is your thing, or paint a picture....anything that you love to do...and redirect that negativity. I promise you will create something positive!

Emma

3 comments:

Brenda said...

Great advice. I love to write when I'm feeling angry--the sound of the keys on my old keyboard, clacking away, makes me feel better. But then I have to go back and edit out the anger that comes shiny through in the words that I had typed.
Gardening helps me as well. Oh, and the smell of fresh cut grass. Man, I love that smell.
What is really awful is I'm a negative person. LOL, sometimes I wish I could get away from myself, hehehehe.

Anonymous said...

Awe, I think you are too hard on yourself, You are an amazingly talented writer...don't let the HUMBUG vibes bring you down...

Interesting isn't it...I knew that my fellow writers would totally relate to this post...we are a unique breed... ;)

J said...

Good point and this is definitely true of me. If I'm tense and upset, writing does NOT flow. I'm not one of those people who can use writing as a catharsis or journal out my feelings. Bad ju-ju acts like a stopper to my creativity.

I am getting better about not letting negativity derail my latest WiP, but THAT, too, is a work in progress!