Affect in Artistic Creativity

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Why do painters paint? While there are many reasons—creating images for enjoyment, solving visual problems, conveying ideas, and contributing to artistic traditions—this book highlights a crucial yet often overlooked motivation: painters paint to feel. Engaging in painting allows them to experience profound emotions, immerse themselves in creative play, and connect with something deeply significant. Painting can transform a painter's entire sense of being, establishing an experiential space where valued feelings are fostered. The book explores this phenomenon by merging psychoanalytical theories of creativity with philosophical insights on affectivity. It emphasizes the creative experience itself and reveals the psychological mechanisms and dynamics that influence these emotions. Throughout, painters’ own accounts of their feelings during the creative process provide an authentic portrayal of painting. The book's strength lies in its critical yet open-minded integration of contemporary psychoanalytic and philosophical thought, alongside a faithful representation of painters' experiences. Ultimately, it enriches our understanding of artistic creativity and illuminates the emotional aspects of the creative process, appealing to philosophers, psychoanalysts, and art researchers alike.