Navigating the creative wilderness: A depth psychological perspective

Contemporary creativity research has made great strides in understanding and quantifying many elements of the creative process, but has focused less on the existential, lived experience of navigating creative barriers. Taking a Jungian, depth-psychological approach, this article considers creativity as a proverbial journey through the wilderness, examining how creatives find their way when they get stuck, experience blocks, lose inspiration, or contemplate giving up. Finding one's way through such barriers can be one of the most challenging aspects of the creative process, and yet is a vital element of the journey. Understanding how to navigate these obstacles with agility can lead to greater creative engagement and efficacy.