Thank
you to each and every Crime Club Member for being a part of our
community of readers and supporting the work of the Killer Women
throughout the year. We hope you have enjoyed being a Member in
2021, and we look forward to bringing you even more in 2022.
In this special New Year edition of
our newsletter author and psychologist Dr Emma
Kavanagh gives us her expert thoughts on creativity during times of
stress.
We hope you are enjoying our new series where the
Killer Women share insights and tips for writing (and reading)
direct from our writing desks to your inbox. Do keep the
conversation going over on Twitter or Instagram where we love to
hear from you.
Stay safe everyone and wishing you all a 2022 full of happiness and
creativity!
In 2021 Emma's book How to be
Broken was published in ebook and audio to
great reviews, including the Sunday
Times who wrote: 'If you are coming to the end of this year
feeling battered and bruised, please read this hugely consoling
short book.' Crime Club thought it would be a
timely moment to ask Emma to give us her thoughts on the stressful
year we are leaving and to give us some tips as we look to the
future.
'We are creators. For us writers, it is what we do. And then, a
pandemic hits. There were those who said that the pandemic and the
lockdowns that came along hard in its wake were a perfect
opportunity to “write that novel you’ve always dreamed of writing”.
Hahahahaha.
No.
Turns
out, creativity is HARD when you are wrapped up tight in the grip
of existential terror.
No-one
says “Argh, I’m about to be eaten by a bear. Now, that gives me the
idea for a sonnet.” Or, if they do, I’d like to have a quick chat
with them about a psychopathy study I’m conducting…
When
our brain detects threat in the environment all of our energy is
redirected towards that threat. We are on red alert, listening,
looking. When this happens, everything else takes a back seat. The
parts of our brain that allow us to regulate emotions, make
decisions, think logically go quiet.
However,
in order to create, our mind needs the freedom to wander. It also
needs the disciplinarian side, that keeps us working towards our
goals. Neither of these things can happen when all our brain is
interested in is whether death is imminent.
There
are things that can help. The first is simply to understand that
our very physiology fights against creativity when you feel that your
life and goals are under threat. Self recrimination only ups the
stress response, making the problem worse. Research tells us that
getting adequate sleep can help us to be creative. Sleep is a
restorative, it allows our brain to wash itself clean from the
learning of the day, to store memories properly, allowing us
distance within which to problem solve. You know that saying “You
should sleep on it”. It’s true! Research shows that participants
become better at creative problem solving after a night’s sleep.
Another thing that research tells us is that creativity often
requires an incubation period - that is some time away from
whatever it is you are trying to do. The jury is still out on
precisely why this happens, but what we know is that allowing yourself
to detach from a project can make you more creative upon your
return.
We
know that an area of the brain, one that runs right down the middle
of your head, the Default Mode Network, plays a major role in
creativity. This network comes into play when we are not doing
anything else, when we are simply being. So, allow yourself time
for that, allow your mind to wander, to hop from topic to topic
like a spring lamb. (A proviso here - if you feel yourself slipping
into rumination or worry, gently redirect your brain back to more
pleasant topics). Mindfulness practice is an awesome way to learn
to control our attention and can help you to stay focused on tasks.
We
know that self efficacy - the sense that we can handle what life
throws at us - is associated with increased creativity levels. So
pay attention to your achievements, remind yourself of what you
have to be proud of. And finally, seek out moments of joy. Studies
show that increases in the hormone oxytocin are associated with
increases in creativity. Oxytocin comes from hugging, from making
love, from focusing on our secure attachments.
We
are creators. It is what we do. And when there are times when it
feels impossible, that’s okay. They will pass. So hug your dog,
take a nap, and allow your brain to heal.'
If you would like to read more from Emma do check out How to be
Broken (Orion £2.99 ebook, also available
in audio) where she takes us on a tour through the
psychological literature, looking at what neuroscience tells us
about extreme stress.
And of course Emma puts
her psychological training to great effect in her fiction too.
Praise for her most
recent novel The Devil You Know (Orion, paperback £8.99)
A brilliant thriller ― Bella
A great, intense read ― Woman's
Way
Dark, twisted and chilling, the layers of misdirection are
wonderfully created ― Woman's
Own
A nail-biting read and a real page-turner...the fast pace and
dramatic tension served up in brief, punchy chapters make this taut
psychological thriller-cum family mystery impossible to put down.
You will devour it in one sitting! ― The Lady
A fast-paced and immersive read ― Guardian
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Emma
Kavanagh was born in Wales in 1978 and currently lives in South
Wales with her husband and two young sons. She trained as a
psychologist and, after leaving university, started her own
business as a psychology consultant, specialising in human
performance in extreme situations. For seven years she provided
training and consultation for police forces and NATO and military
personnel throughout the UK and Europe. For more information, tweet
Emma @EmmaLK or check out her
websitehttps://emmakavanagh.com/
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Stay safe everyone.
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