Emerson's Advice on Staying Creative Through Life's Ups and Downs

In First We Read, Then We Write: Emerson on the Creative Process, biographer Robert Richardson draws from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays and journals and shares Emerson's advice on creativity and productivity in thought and writing. Throughout the book, Richardson presents us with an essential tension between the Emerson who insisted on nonconformity and originality, versus "…another side (of Emerson), a side where both his feet are planted in everyday reality, a side of him that often sounds overwhelmed, sometimes desperate, but always determined" (p. 3). In my review of the book, I discussed this tension, and the necessity for determination even in the face of desperation, as it may apply to a life and career in psychology. I shared a little of my own struggle to maintain interest and creativity in my work as my career path led me to a non-tenured, soft-money job—not the destination I envisioned as a student, but one that has held more possibilities for interesting work than I had imagined. Emerson's insistence that we rely not just on literature but on close observation of nature to generate ideas, and that we push forward with our work on the darkest days, resonated deeply with my experience.

What has your experience been? Has your career—whether you are still in graduate school or well beyond—brought setbacks and disappointments, or perhaps simply unexpected changes in direction? If so, have you found ways to maintain or rekindle interest and regain direction? Does Emerson's call for originality and bravery especially in the worst of times inspire you, or does it feel naive and unrealistic given the professional realities you encounter?

Read the Review

"Whence Is Your Power?" What Psychologists Can Learn From Ralph Waldo Emerson
      By Jeffrey Noel
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(41)