writers-block

I am more than often branded as “super sensitive” by my foes and friends alike.  I realize that being touchy is somewhat of a deterrent in life and work. But as one of my wellwishers has advised me more recently that I should try and  shed off some of my “porkupinish” reaction to stimulii and be a little more thick skinned, I suppose, I find that difficult as well.

My sensitivities are very much a part of me, of who I am. They have grown and stayed with me for so long, it seems almost fatal to my personality, to shrug them off consciously and forget about them overnight. I also have this disturbing feeling that if I loose my sensitivity I shall loose my creativity as well ( my “cerebralness” as I call it) and be a “vegetable” of sorts which again is an exaggerated fear or may be an apathy to change, a recalcitrant,  reactionary element vey common and natural to human species. I know I may be clinging to a misnomer.

Some of these sensitivities have been genetically inherited; the rest acquired, socially transmitted, default “aftermath(?)”  or consequence of education and upbringing.

I also strongly believe that a person who claims to be involved in creative or cerebral pursuit should nurture a certain amount of sensitivity – be sensitized to environs and people around and influence them to be so.

Creativity confined to narrow domains of personal indulgence, looses its intrinsic value. Thus, being a creative person in all its completeness, also entails social responsibilities. We must reach out, touch people’s hearts, make them think, try to improve upon the status quo and bring in change if possible. Creativity should not just be  and exercise in word craftsmanship and a bundle of ill fated emotions. It has to be much more than that!

I am a thinking animal. I ponder and cud chew. I dissent and cherish strong opinions. Sometimes, foolishly voice them as strongly, to the chagrin of many. I choose to take stand and sometimes even banish people out of my arena of social exchange if they do not conform to my ways and means (which of course is a bit extreme!)

What I mean to say is that sensitivity has its own advantages and disadvantages, given its usage, application and utilitarian value.

We should wake up to the fact that we are sensitive that is why we are able to create and vice versa, we are creative therefore sensitive.

Pray comment.

Defying notes are most welcome.

Brainstorming desirable.

Endorsement shall lend  immense strength to my belief

About gc1963

A working woman with interests in reading, writing, music, poetry and fine arts.

15 responses »

  1. um creation is sensitive and much more; you have reminded of all those.
    Keep on reminding:)

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  2. সবুজ মোহাইমিনুল says:

    Yes ! Writers are always sensitive . They are meant to be like that .
    But when we deal with our social foes and friends( whosoever) we should try not to be super – sensitive. Then some people may take chance of our super sensitivity and misuse in their own way. I may be wrong .It is just an opinion of mine .

    But there’s no way to ignore the affinity of sensitivity with creativity. And that’s why i think
    Geetashree is a writer !

    BTW i’m a sensitive guy too !

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  3. jmathur says:

    Geeta Ji,

    Going through your blog gave me an impression of being a ventriloquist whose voice is coming out of your mouth. Well, I am glad to have so much in common with you. Sensitivity leads to making of a true artist. Thick-skinned ones may be more successful in the practical world but their creations are never coming out of their hearts even if they present things of artistic value. A sensitive person is a good human-being and who is a good human-being only can be an artist in the true sense. He / she is able to enrich the art and not his mundane life. Hope, you have read the lines of the legendary Hindi poet – ‘VIYOGI HOGA PEHLA KAVI, AAH SE UPJA HOGA GAAN, NIKAL KAR AANKHON SE CHUPCHAAP BAHI HOGEE KAVITA ANJAAN’.

    I rest my case and thank the Almighty for bringing me into contact with a sensitive person like you.

    Regards.

    Jitendra

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    • Thank you once again for the effusive comment and the lengthy and illuminating telephonic conversation on the issue. Here I have only dealt with the correlation between sentivity and creativity which may or may not imply a popular or materially successful creative life. That’s another issue altogether.

      An honest pen flows from an honest heart. An honest heart relies more on what he/she wants to speak about and not what his/her readers want to hear/read of him/her.

      I think this was also the gist of telecon that we had today.

      I am also very indebted to the Almighty to find a voice in you which resonates my feelings and as you said vice versa.

      Wishing you all the very best in life!

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  4. magiceye says:

    It all depends on how one reacts when the sensitivity is probed 🙂

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  5. Writerzblock says:

    Hi GC, thank you for visiting my blog and leaving your kind ‘likes’ 🙂 I have not caught up with my reader and other blogs yet, but will come around to doing it soon, and your blog will certainly be on the list 🙂 Have a nice day!

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  6. No sweat and always welcome!

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  7. vimalaramu says:

    Being oversensitive is a problem in certain relationships like saas-bahu when things which are not said are taken to be ‘said’, things which were not ‘meant’ are taken to be ‘meant’. It is very difficult for a thick skinned person like me to get along with very sensitive people. In my own case, being a seventh child in the family, nobody paid much attention to what i said. As a daughter in law, what I said even in fun was given weight. In my next avtaar as a son’s mother, I was censured for things which I did not tell also,” You should have said like this. That’s what was expected of you”!!!!:)

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  8. I am so glad that you brought this issue up in your article. The other day I was really grappling with a similar thought and tried to put that up as a facebook status update- the idea was that in today’s world, one tends to privilege a culture of “eloquence”, a culture of “presentability” but then what happens to a culture of “contemplation”? Man is not just a social but a “thinking” being as well- and you have mentioned this point very thoughtfully in this write-up. So in a highly globalized, commercial, capitalist culture, where do we stand? We, who would love to engage with art, poetry, and other forms of aesthetic contemplation. I agree with you- sensitivity is an artistic resource. It is the inner need of life, it is what makes us human. It would really interesting if you could elaborate on this issue in your upcoming articles!!

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  9. Sorry, a small typo in my comment- *it is that which makes us

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    • I would call it the syndrome of putting the best foot forward….that is exactly what we are doing on these social networking sites. We are presenting a facade which need not necessarily be the true ‘us’, if you understand what I mean. In this context, I am reminded of an Urdu couplet which loosely translated stands thus : “Word are the camouflage of my thoughts, glean my silences to fathom within”.

      Thanks for giving me some more food for thought. You’ve really helped me to graduate from one flippant blogger to a thoughtful one.

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