SpringerBriefs in Psychology The Creative Transformation of Despair Hate and Violence - Rainer Matthias Holm-Hadulla Kartoniert (TB)

I really enjoyed reading the book “The Creative Transformation of Despair, hate and Violence” by R. Holm Hadulla! I found it interesting, revealing and educative. I was impressed by the ability of the author to simplify the meaning of psychological terms and make them more comprehensible, using as examples pieces of information from biographies of famous pop icons. Even the title was intriguing. Is it possible to transform despair and hate into Creativity? And how did these mythical human beings, like Madonna, John Lennon, Mick Jagger &Co manage to do that? I believe that young people, who are attracted by the speed and charm of short terminology and communicate with photos and mini-texts, would love to understand the basic terms of creativity, - the big 5: talents, skills, motivation, resilience and favorable environmental conditions. They would especially be enchanted and surprised to know that the understanding of these terms could serve as a guide and help them and all people in the creative transformation of the destructive potential that is part of our personal and political life. I cannot distinguish what I loved and enjoyed more. First, the understanding and clarification of complicated psychological behaviors and properties that can help us in our day-today life, without seeking professional complicated analysis. Second, how distinguished and famous personalities succeeded in overcoming pain and sorrow and creating art inventions that changed the world. I had taken some lessons of psychology in high school, but I found them complicated and boring. The writer with his long experience as a professor, achieved to offer with his book some basic and comprehensible information about creativity. This could help Teenagers, University students and Adults of all ages to cope with the challenges and difficulties of life and realize the impact of fatigue, fear, loneliness, that sometimes may drive to severe situations. Friends, Family, Teachers are valuable, but it can also be very encouraging and supporting to just read the adventures of an idol and learn that he or she had disappointments and failures and pain, but yet they were able to overcome it and succeed.Creativity is the elixir of life! It is the creation of new and useful forms, an essential property of all living things. Ηuman creativity is a complex, natural and cultural phenomenon. It is the tendency to generate and recognize ideas that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others and entertaining others. Pop icons created their most powerful songs in an early age and towards the end of adolescence.Mozart had positive influences from his parents and from a nurturing and challenging environment, as well as his father’s devoted instruction. His talents were trained in a highly disciplined manner. His childhood was shadowed by the death of his siblings at an early age, but he succeeded in a unique way to transform the dark sides of life into beauty and joie de vivre.Mari Curie -the first person ever to receive a second Nobel - had encouraging and inspiring parents supporting her talent. Her life was overshadowed by her mother’s sickness but her father -despite his suffering from Russian rules and economical difficulties - supported her. She worked later as a home teacher to support her studies.Madonna. Dancing to lifeMadona lost her mother at the age of 5. The family was poor and the father was very austere. Little Madonna did not despair but began to work on herself. She took up dancing and found comfort in music. She remained inwardly connected to her “inner mother” who leads to art and consolation. The hard upbringing by her father made her life very difficult. But she learned to be disciplined and focused. She was in top 2% of her class with IQ of 140. Madonna’s talent in dancing was recognized by her teacher who supported her. After school she went to New York. At the age of 24 she reaches the top ten with a single Holiday. Her road to success was filled with energy and diligence. She had dancing and musical talents and her discipline helped her in achieving her goals, avoiding drugs and alcohol. A highly creative personality, she was able to cope with despair artistically and creatively. She continues to be one of the most courageous enemies of drugs and alcohol. And remains creative and socially involved.John Lennon The dreamer.He was less resilient and managed to transform his despair into art. He lacked supportive bonds in childhood, suffering from an unfamiliar environment. He had difficulties at the age of five as he was separated from his parents, living with his aunt. His song Imagine was the anthem of love and peace movements. The songs “a hard day’s night”, and “she loves you” were cheerful and optimistic. They reached the young audience, crossed bourgeois boundaries and gave rock music significant popularity. The song “Help” was the anthem of a worldwide, pacifist, strong motivation for artistic self expression. He fought hate and violence artistically and politically but was also sometimes at the mercy of these destructive forces himself. John Lennon remains unforgotten to this day as a musician, songwriter, and peace activist and remains an inspiring companion for many who are searching for existential and artistic self-realization.Mick Jagger: Sympathy for the Devil. Mick Jagger is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is founding member of Rolling Stones with the guitarist Keith Richard. His song “sympathy for the Devil” is one of the most powerful songs in Pop history. Like Goethe, who worked on his Faust for almost 60 years, Mick Jagger interpreted this song over and over again in 60 years. He showed his interest in music in early age. During his school years, he met a like-minded comrade, Keith Richards, who was spending log time with his guitar. They met accidentally later and a long, artistic friendship began that lasted for over 60 yearsThey launched the Rolling Stones together with Victoria, Charlie Weitz and Brian Jones. They made their first appearance in July 1962 with Mick Jagger as the rythm and blues singer. Meanwhile, he continued to attend the London School of Economics.Big Jagger achieved during his career everything possible to him. He became an international figure in cultural and social life. Millions appreciate his music and his performances. He has constantly developed personally, from a lively boy to a diligent and athletic student to a rebellious adolescent and later to a disciplined working adult, from a wild blues and rock musician to a writer of sophisticated lyrics and from rebellious singer to dazzling pop icon.Creativity or destruction The case of Amy Winehouse and Jim Morrison The author describes also how the extraordinary talent of two other pop idols was not enough to support them against destruction.Amy Winehouse. The fallen angel, She died at the age of 27. Very talented, her creativity was balancing between creation and destruction. She created fascinating music. Her motivation for artistic expression was strongly developed, but she lacked the stability and resilience to cope with her psychological affliction. Her personality was vulnerable and struggled to resist. There was no creative peer group to support her.Jim Morrison. The Shaman He stylized himself into a pop icon and a melancholic hero. Jim Morrison dealt in his poems with despair , self destruction and violence. His charisma and voice were fascinating. He embodied an attitude to life between boundless hedonism and deep despair. He had a creative longing for a better world, threatened by monstrous destructive potential. He was gifted and had many talents , as well as special vocal skills. Unfortunately he lacked discipline. He sought redemption through drugs and finally suicidal doses of alcohol.Morrison experienced the destructive forces so intensely that he was burned in the fire of his inspiration. He died at the age of 27.Creativity in early age.Goethe tried to cope with painful events through learning and creative activity. He was able to overcome his despair in youth which led him to contemplate the abyss of suicide.Creativity in later age. In later age, more complex cultural work requires knowledge and experience, talent by itself is not enough. Mozart himself needed 30 years of tireless musical learning practice and development to create Don Giovanni, the Magic Flute and Requiem.Goethe finished the magnificent mountain gorge scene at the end of Faust III in his 80th year, after having worked on his “inner fairy tale” for nearly 60 years .Pablo Picasso, who became famous at an early age, was a natural talent with extraordinary creativity in older age. He deconstructed traditional forms to let them live in a new form.The author describes here how these ingenious persons not only could overcome their difficulties in young ag, but were also able to achieve a higher health, and increased joy of life. They would take courage to fight their own fears and difficulties and find inspiration This is another trait of this extraordinary book: the inspiration of optimism! Personally, it helped me understand how my experimenting with painting after pension, by mixing my own choice of colors and shades, offered me joy and happiness by admiring my own work.Creativity in the early age of children. Talented children need targeted support, as they are dealing with obstacles and a challenging environment. Many children assail anger either with productivity or violence. Parents and teachers can learn how to support talented children through analyzing the behavior of famous artists. They can understand unfamiliar concepts though the analysis of creativity and its impact on the development in children.This is a book for all ages! For the parents of very young children, to be inspired from the examples of Mozart, Marie Curie, Madonna and others. For teenagers and teachers. And for older people, who sometimes think that life is over, to be inspired by the brilliant late work of artists like Wagner, Verdi, Goethe, Picasso.