Any artist/writer who creates from a deep seated place -- a place of intensity and authenticity -- will understand the fear at the point of immersion. It’s always scary and often confronting to work with our own deep seated material. Anne Paris’ book Standing at Water's Edge looks specifically at the concept of creative immersion; encouraging the reader to take the plunge and providing tips to overcome the blocks and fear that come naturally to such an undertaking. The book is easily read and clearly written, using many anecdotes and personal accounts from Paris’ own experiences and perhaps more importantly, from her experience as a clinical psychologist specialising in the particular issues that artists have.
Understanding the fear at the base of the connection with ourselves and others that leads to creativity, we can begin to work on developing strategies and relationships that support rather than hinder our creative process. Paris’ prose is affirmative, compassionate and supportive and will help artists to take better care of their emotional needs. The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the whole notion of creativity, looking at where it comes from, and the internal drivers and fears that underpin how we create. The second part deals with the kinds of relationships that artists develop and require in order to work, and why they are so important. These include people that Paris has typed as “mirrors,” “heroes,” “twins,” and the “audience.” The third part looks at the stages of an artistic project and how to move in and out of immersion to heighten the quality of our work, and the emotional experiences that go along with it. At the end of each chapter is a “guide” which synthesises the chapter, and provides a series of steps to help artists put them into practice.
Each chapter begins with one or more quotations from a famous artist or artists, that focuses on the point of the chapter. At the end of each chapter, readers are offered "Guides" with helpful suggestions on how to put the ideas from the chapter into practice. The book ends with a series of incomplete sentence prompts which helps the reader explore their fantasies, self-perceptions, fears, and support structures.
Article comments