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Laralyn McWilliams on rediscovering creativity following trauma [gamasutra.com]

 

Emotional distress caused by uncontrollable life events robs us of our creative power. This was the message from Laralyn McWilliams, chief creative officer at Skydance Interactive who, at an emotional talk at GDC 2018, recounted her experience struggling to make games after being diagnosed with incurable lung cancer.

“I could not be creative or do my job,” said McWilliams. “I sat on the couch and said to my husband: ‘I am a talentless hack.’ I thought in that moment that I would never create again. And I meant it.”

McWilliams, who has worked on games such as Full Spectrum Warrior, Sid Meier's Pirates!, and The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall, said that, while chemotherapy treatment is known to cause cognitive impairments, trauma caused by divorce, the death of a parent or child, and sexual abuse can all have major negative effects on our creativity.

[For more on this story by Simon Parkin, go to https://www.gamasutra.com/view...following_trauma.php]

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Thank you for this post. I can attest that this is true! In the past years I have created 3 courses, a product for pregnant women, Conversations that Matter, co-authored 2 chapters in a book about childhood trauma and am currently writing a book! The ideas won't stop!!!

I am grateful for this flow of creativity - anyone out there interested in collaborating to implement these creations?  

With gratitude, Leslie

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