The Daily Stoic

Creativity is a fundamental part of the human condition.

So, if we're routinely anxious, panicked, full of gloom, it's incredibly hard to access the wonder and joy that fires it.

This wonder is essential if we are to contribute our creativity to a better world.

Don't get me wrong, no emotions are wholly positive or negative, and those we lump in the negative sack are powerful, but harder to use effectively, especially when such prickly emotions are sustained.

But a baseline of optimism is crucial to making the work truest to who we are.

For this reason, when I coach clients, I ask them about their 'insurmountables.' The big 'orrible antagonists that are beyond our control, but blow raspberries at us from the rooftops as we try to enjoy the flight of birds.

I've helped clients tackle fears around misogyny, younger years misdemeanours, inescapable chores, and more, all in service of freeing them to make the magic only they can make.

Personally, through anxiety and at times despair over the ecological crisis, and in my worst times, my own mortality, I've felt empty, ruined by the kind of fear that makes me want to climb out of my own skin.

I've had to do deep internal reckoning to ease those, and easing they are. In part, this is thanks to the work of Ryan Holiday.

Ryan is a philosopher, and I stumbled across his important work while seeking to understand the ways of the brain. Stoicism's teachings have become a guiding light for me as I seek to maintain the many positives my high-sensitivity and curious brain have given me, while policing the overthinking downside. I also have Dan Kieran to thank for introducing me to 'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius, which has also been incredibly helpful.

As I said, no emotions or even traits are wholly positive or negative.

I'll be adding 'The Daily Stoic' to The Creative Condition reading list.

Stoicism , at its core, is self-mastery, acknowledging what we can control in our lives and learning to manage the ills of what is beyond our direct influence.

It’s about making choices to enable us to contribute meaningfully to the world, with fulfilment and joy.

Say hello any time you wish at ben@bentallon.com or here in the DMs to just share ideas, tell me how you're feeling, or, if you're so inclined, we can talk about how my coaching might help.

And as ever, my weekly show, 'The Creative Condition podcast', is free for all. Hopefully, you'll find something that helps amongst the 300+ episodes.

Ryan is easily found - his podcast of the same title is brilliant for these times.