“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” Psychologist William James

Our needs for attention and appreciation may be basic, and grounded in survival as a child, but for some people, those needs are especially potent.

In a recent article, Ben Kingsley commented about being a performer as a child, like so many other gifted actors, and some hurtful responses from his parents.

“I had always been the song-and-dance man of the family,” he says. “I remember my father referring to me as ‘our little Danny Kaye’ when I was about seven. That was the only remotely positive comment I remember from them. They never praised me or acknowledged a gram of talent in me.

With the increasing demand for “content” in so many channels of entertainment and other media, are people who write, create visual art and movies highly respected, in high demand and getting great compensation?

Not so much.

According to at least two people in a position to know, the present “system” is far from encouraging of artists.

This is a photo of Merrill Joan Gerber, a novelist and short story writer, who also teaches fiction writing at Caltech (the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California).

She is another artist featured in the documentary Lost in Living.

See Part 1 of this post for a trailer and more.

Director Mary Trunk comments on the site for the film that Gerber “had over 25 books published, was a former fellow of the Wallace Stegner Writing Workshop at Stanford and was contemplating giving it up altogether.

“Her children had been among her subjects and at times they felt that their privacy had been invaded. She was conflicted between her need to write and her desire to maintain relationships with her daughters.”

How does being a mother affect a creative woman, especially someone engaged in a career in the arts?

“The motherhood thing – I think of it like a marathon, except a marathon is over in a day. It’s an endurance test and it’s something you absolutely can’t stop for a second.

“Part of what makes it really cool and interesting is almost anything [besides motherhood] you commit to, you can take a breather.”

Caren McCaleb “is an award winning documentary editor and filmmaker. Her work has shown on PBS, A&E, and at numerous film festivals including Sundance, AFIFest, and the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films.” [From her site: www.carenmccaleb.com]

The image is from a new documentary Lost in Living – “the story of four extraordinary women who share their personal triumphs and struggles as mothers and as artists and who uniquely define for themselves what it means to be a woman in our modern world.” [From statement by Director Mary Trunk.]

Being relatively free of disabling moods like high levels of depression and anxiety can enhance and release creative thinking, but a number of writers and psychologists think too much focus on the pursuit of happiness may be limiting how we develop creativity.

“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years.”

Ouiser Boudreaux (Shirley MacLaine), in Steel Magnolias (1989).

As Shirley MacLaine has also noted, “Art is about energy, positive and negative. All art has the power to heal because it helps us see who we are, and what we resist.”

In addition to all the destructive consequences that may follow traumatic experience, some people say it also has power to encourage creative expression.

The photo is of the late actor Charles Durning (1923–2012) who reportedly appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.

In World War II, he was severely wounded by shrapnel, and also engaged a very young German soldier in hand-to-hand combat.

After killing the boy, Durning said in an article, he “held him in his arms and wept. He said the memories never left him, even when performing, even when he became, however briefly, someone else.”

Can this kind of trauma, which often leads to PTSD, have any positive impact on creative imagination and expression?

In her provocatively titled post Does Trauma Increase Creativity?, Laura K Kerr reports on a study that, she notes, “suggests there may be a connection between creativity and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Writing is so difficult, that if it doesn’t heal you in the doing of it it isn’t worth the trouble.”

That is a quote by massage therapist, author, artist and teacher Cynthia Waring.

In her book and one-woman play, both titled “Bodies Unbound”, she relates the story of her life and growth as a therapist and artist, her journey of self-discovery and healing from childhood trauma and abuse.

In the process, she invites the audience and reader to see how ordinary life is the perfect process for transformation and actualization.

While many people may be encouraged to pursue their creativity, many others have had to exercise their courage and go against the values, wishes and advice of parents and friends.

Sandra Tsing Loh is a Caltech graduate in physics and an accomplished writer, performer, radio commentator (on NPR’s Morning Edition and on Ira Glass’ This American Life), a contributing editor to The Atlantic Monthly, author of multiple books, star of solo theatrical shows, and a composer.

In our interview, she said her parents were “extremely supportive” and her mother “just instilled the notion that whatever we [children] decided to do, we would not fail.

“So the good part was they told us we were really smart and talented and could do anything. Possibly the down side was they were sure not of us could make a living in anything liberal arts, so we should use our brilliance to become aerospace engineers.”

Pat Autenrieth is a mixed media artist using photography, digital printing, silkscreen, rubbings, rubber stamps, drawing, painting, collage, embroidery, applique, photo dye and quilting.

Her work has been shown at the Museum of American Folk Art in New York, the National Museum of American Art in Washington, and elsewhere.

She was Project artist for American Masterpieces: The American Quilt 2009, Textile Museum, Washington, DC, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

“Making art is a way toward being whole.”

She noted in our interview that art is, at least “to some degree” a form of therapy. But, she adds, “I don’t know of any working artist who doesn’t need to make art in a larger sense. Making art is satisfying on so many levels, that it has got to have a healing effect.”

Like other people, those in the arts often respond quickly to disasters like hurricanes.

Doing a Google search for “celebrity response to hurricane sandy” I located a recent Tweet by Jennifer Lopez ‏@JLo: If you need a safe place to stay, shelter info avail. in #RedCross HurricanApp #Sandy http://bit.ly/red__cross

This evening is a broadcast of “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together” – a “star-studded benefit telethon to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy, hosted by Matt Lauer with performances by Christina Aguilera, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and more! Donations benefit the Red Cross relief efforts.” [Photo from the website.]