The term "creative hopelessness" can be confusing because it juxtaposes two seemingly contradictory ideas— creativity, which is generally associated with positivity and innovation, and hopelessness, which is linked to despair and “giving up”. People may not understand how these concepts can coexist or what the term truly implies; let’s dive in!
Creative hopelessness is a concept from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that refers to a therapeutic strategy used to help individuals recognize the lack of workability of their current coping mechanisms in addressing their psychological distress. It involves guiding individuals to a point where they realize that their efforts to control or eliminate unwanted thoughts and feelings have
not been successful and have often exacerbated their problems. In addition, individuals who have spent years attempting to make, for example, their
anxious feelings disappear in order to engage in their values, will learn that a meaningful and value-congruent life can be led even in the presence of anxious feelings and thoughts.
Fighting emotions can be attributed to a variety of psychological, social, and cultural factors. Here are some key reasons why people might struggle with accepting their emotions, and instead devote a significant amount of energy attempting to eliminate emotions that elicit discomfort:
Cultural conditioning (being told that your anxious or sad feelings are a problem that need to be fixed in order to live a fulfilling life), fear of vulnerability (fear of being judged, rejected, or perceived as weak), perceived loss of control (fighting emotions can give people a false sense of control, whereas embracing them may feel like surrendering to chaos), social norms and expectations (example: men may be discouraged from showing sadness or fear, while women might be discouraged from expressing anger or assertiveness), avoidance of pain (people might fight emotions in an attempt to avoid the pain and discomfort that comes with them), and cognitive dissonance (someone who sees themselves as strong and independent might fight feelings of sadness or loneliness because they contradict this self-image).
Contrary to popular belief, the term "hopelessness" in creative hopelessness does not imply giving up on all hope, but rather giving up on the hope that we can fully control our internal experiences. In other words, you are creating willingness and openness to accept your feelings rather than constantly be at war with them. As mentioned above, this creates a space for more adaptive and functional approaches to emerge, fostering psychological flexibility and a more fulfilling life.
Some key steps in creative hopelessness include:
1. Recognizing or acknowledging the ineffectiveness to control what cannot be controlled (aka: creative hopelessness): You acknowledge that your current strategies for dealing with distress, such as avoidance or suppression, are not working. You come to understand that these strategies are not only ineffective but may also be contributing to your suffering (you are not only feeling sad, but you also feel frustrated that you cannot get rid of the sadness, which leaves little energy for pursuing the things that mean the most to you!)
2. Embracing vulnerability: Emotions are a natural part of the human experience. Instead of trying to fight them, you use strategies such as mindfulness to “lean into” and become curious about the emotion that showed up instead of devoting energy to trying to “make it go away”.
3. Shifting focus to values: With this recognition, your mind becomes more available to exploring and engaging in values and value-congruent actions. Connectedness to values has been shown to lead to increased purpose and direction, motivation and resilience, consistency and integrity, and meaningful relationships.
Step 4: Developing New Strategies: Through the integration of alternative strategies that increase openness to our internal experiences rather than trying to control them, we can be flexible and adaptable in response to pain. Skills like mindfulness, becoming an observer of your emotions and thoughts, or increasing acceptance and self-compassion, can afford us greater flexibility in response to our pain rather than struggling against it.
Embracing creative hopelessness allows us to live more authentically, as we are no longer entangled in the struggle to control their internal experiences. Instead, creative hopelessness allows us to shift our focus to living in accordance with their true values. In summary, creative hopelessness facilitates a deeper connection to values by dismantling ineffective coping mechanisms, fostering acceptance, and encouraging a shift towards values-driven actions. This
process leads to a more purposeful, authentic, and fulfilling life.
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