ABSTRACT
There is a preciousness and a precariousness in individual potential. We come into the world utterly dependent upon those around us to keep us safe enough that we can develop our potential. However, for those driven by aesthetic or spiritual inspiration, normative elements in family and culture can prove deadening. The artist is, to some extent, dependent on others to support their projects, and yet, even the most gifted artists may not be recognized for their talents; what we would term “genius” is often a function of a perspective that is outside the bounds of consensual reality, such that, at times, the pursuit of creative endeavors can become profoundly lonely and even seem to take the form of a type of madness. Bion helps us to recognize the inevitable tensions between the establishment and the new idea, what he terms the mystic, who speaks back to us in an alien voice. How we listen to such voices without further alienating and driving the person into silence or madness remains a worthy challenge, so that we can preserve, protect, and nourish the very creativity we need in order to thrive.
