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Paradoxical Representation: The Royal Road to Creativity
Author(s) -
Israeli Naftally
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
british journal of psychotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1752-0118
pISSN - 0265-9883
DOI - 10.1111/bjp.12498
Subject(s) - creativity , representation (politics) , psychology , expression (computer science) , process (computing) , linguistics , social psychology , computer science , law , philosophy , politics , political science , programming language , operating system
Creativity is connected to our experiences. But how are these represented in language? The concept of paradoxical representation is introduced here as a ‘solution’ to this problem. Two other solutions are focusing on the non‐representational and creating a ‘private’ language. Psychoanalysis and children's literature use these solutions in order to deal with representation of the ‘inner world’. However, when using paradoxical representation, the way in which this world is represented is unique. This is so because the relationship between language and experience is truly paradoxical in nature. It presents two different and contradictory manners of representation – one in which the word symbolizes – and does not symbolize – the experience; one that is separate – and not separate – from it; and one that serves as subjective expression and public communication. This representation is one in which successful representation, which symbolizes the thing, is a representation that fails, and therefore does not symbolize it. Although creativity can also stem from non‐verbal realms or from ‘private’ languages, using words as paradoxical representations – which in Winnicottian terms means using words as transitional objects – maximizes the creative process and is thus the ‘royal road’ to creativity.