jWs and creativity

boy@crossroads

Its seems to me over the years as a dub I have met some very creative (albeit eccentric) folks in the org. whats your thoughts on this? Do you think that the structure of the jws makes people more creative? or are the young eccentrics just children of parents who were themselves creative but mislead into the org. years before?

My $0.02, I think that when raised in a high control group where one isn't allowed to freely express themselves, they find other avenues for expression (less controlled avenues) such as in art and music. Plus the org. was constantly have us use or imagination. During drama parts we had to make believe, it seemed like every part on the assembly began with "imagine for a moment", and everybody that has every believed in the paradise earth has imagined what it would be like, if not for a brief moment.

And because your never allowed to do the things in the "world" you are always imagining what it would be like.

johnathanseagull

Welcome to the board boy@crossroads..... it's been a few years since I was in the org, so things might of changed, but looking back, I found that the JW's were the most uncreative people I'd ever been around, due to the continued reliance on the Org as an aurthority, for an example in the area of employment, reaching out to excel wasn't the going rate back then......

Welcome again

JGull

Nathan Natas

If you think JWs are "creative," it's only because you've limited your association with real people.

The world is full of creative people, and the majority of them are not Dubs.

GentlyFeral

I've known another of artistic or creative folks in the congregation: a sculptor, a textile artist/RenFair enthusiast, a number of talented amateur musicians...
and, come to think of it, our entire family: my husband is a gifted self-taught musician, my kids are both self-taught artists, I am a poet, and the rest of the family is also skilled at wordplay.

The JW's I knew who got the most out of their creative skills were those living in divided or "spiritually weak" households, with one exception: and that was a pioneer family where most of the children were skilled pianists but I don't think any of them were composers.

The creative JW family I know best - my own - is OUT today and more creative since leaving than before. In the eight years since I left, I've written more and better poetry than in the 23 years I was a JW. The same is true of my husband's music: more and better since he left.

My son's gifts blossomed pretty much in secret in the years he was a JW. Same rule: more and better after leaving - not only more stuff, but also more varied media (not only drawing and writing but also costume design and performance art). (Hey! My son and I are writing a book of poetry together!)

My daughter is still growing, limited only by monetary constraints and self-confidence issues - a BIG JW issue if you ask me! - but we DA'd when she was only 12, and she had "left mentally" by the age of 8, so I don't know how artistically scarred she was by the experience.

GentlyFeral

Cicatrix

Hi Boy,
Welcome to the board. Your theory about creativity is interesting. I am an artistic person, and I found that my creativity was very much discouraged when I became a JW. In fact, many of the articles in the Awake regarding those who had joined up with the JWs involve the person giving UP their artistic pursuits to honor Jehovah, instead of USING those gifts to honor him.

I did know a number of creatives who used art and music to find some kind of solace, but they were targetted and picked on if it was known by the congregation that they were doing so (with the exception of an elder's wife who was not bothered, and even painted pictures for the Kingdom Hall). It was often said that if they could find time to "sit around drawing or playing music", they could use that time "more productively" in the ministry. In one case, such harassment drove one young man I was aquainted with to plan suicide. Fortunately, my daughter and a friend of hers learned of his plan and notified his parents. He received counseling, quit going to meetings, and last I heard was editor of the school paper. Another JW woman I knew continued to write, but did so secretly.I quit all of my artistic pursuits for many years, but took up writing again as therapy to save my sanity when things started going bad and I was making my decision to leave. I only recently took up painting again.

All in all, Jehovah's Witnesses don't encourage their members to make anything but the field service a priority in their lives. Association with creative individuals is discouraged, probably partly because creatives often "march to the beat of their own drummer" and don't make good company people. The Watchtower society needs lots of company people who will go along with the corporate plan, and not rock the boat. Only the most cooperative corporate people (ie-those of "good standing") ever got to take part in the dramas. And after seeing several Broadway productions and lots of local productions, I don't think those "dramas" were very creative at all, now;)

Regards,
Cicatrix

frankiespeakin

I tend to think JWism squashes creativity. I have become much more creative after leaving the cult,, and the further I deprogram myself,, the greater my creativity,,at least that has been my experience.

The guilt trips and fear used in manipulating the average JW has to be very counter productive to creativity. While there may be some of the JWs that still have some creativity it must be curbed to fit JWism. Once these restaints are removed,,through psychoanalysis either personal or professional,,I feel creativity will flurish,,in the truley creative individual.

Country_Woman

Looking back, I don't think there were a lot of creative dubs in our congregation. Can't remember someone with special skils (except myself - and I am not really creative)

However, I know a lot of creative people outside the borg - who never were connected to the dubs.

So, I don't know........

baysixforme

My experiences tell me that for the most part creativity was stifled, much for the same reasons that have been already mentioned.

Strangely enough though, whenever there was a wedding, all the musicians were rounded up to put on the free entertainment. In that instance of course there was all praise to Jehovah for these wonderful talents!

Bay64me

Obviously Secret

I've been in the org for all my life and still in it. But I dunno... I may have broke out of the shell cause I was creative even when I was 6. Lol my parents pulled the good o' "If you can sit and draw that much you can do the same in the field" Im like whatever, <keeps on drawing and writing>. I have seen another creative person, not in any form that I have seen really just by the way she thinks and the way she does different things and how she jokes around. Gotta be creative for some of the stuff she does.

Ya now that I'm thinking about it I haven't seen one creative person yet in the org... Except my brother who is pretty out there and thinks outside the box alot of times. That's why he is DFed lol still goin through some stuff though. So ya creativity in the org a big no no. I see the org creating more weird people though... with weird things about them that could be used to make the world a much better place but those weirdness things are focused in the field. What a waste. Out of the possible 1000 people my parents talked to in the field only one became a witness. What crap.

I'm going on a record lol, I've been sick and stuff and just plain faking it and I haven't been out in field in like 7 months. Good thing I ain't no publisher, I'm waiting that out as long as possible.

talesin

Hi, boy!

My own personal experience was stifling of my creativity. I was a natural musician and artist, but that was a complete no-no. Music lessons would have taken away my focus from service to Jah, and although I BEGGED for them, it was refused. And art? Well, that was a complete and utter waste of time. All that mattered was preaching the word. Then again, I was coerced into quitting school at 14 as well. My family was very JW --> 24-7. I have often wished it had been different. It's only been in recent years that I have begun to explore my abilities, and even now, I find it hard to get 'in the groove'.

As others said, there were certain ones (usually families who encouraged music and were 'spiritually weak') who always provided the music for weddings, etc. To be honest, I never knew any JWs who were visual artists, not even one.

talesin

jWs and creativity

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