Wisdom and the Senses: The Way of Creativity

by Joan M. Erikson

"In this loving and vivid book, Joan Erikson gives us an artist's retracting of the human life cycle, beginning in the blessings of the senses and fulfilled in wisdom."―Mary Catherine Bateson Joan Erikson explores the crucial role played by the physical sense at every stage of psychological growth from birth to old age, finding parallels between the creation of art as we usually define it and the creation of self―the most artful act of all. In the experience of making and doing, she located a primary source of human growth and vitality.

Wisdom and the Senses is itself a celebration of art, with the progressive stages in the life cycle revealed through woven charts, reproduced here in full color. The work of artists, much as the words and ideas of Joan Erikson, takes us on a journey of understanding that leads to the meaning of wisdom.

Genres: Psychology

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for more about the development of creativity, although I did enjoy reading the more general material about human development. In particular, I was intrigued by Erikson's explanation that the ideal resolution of each developmental conflict requires more of a balance between syntonic and dystonic poles, rather than a firm 'victory' of the syntonic. The end segment, "The Fool, the Jester, and the Artist" was amazing.

Other parts of the book were not as strong. The representation of the charted stages in a woven tapestry was cool, but the corresponding text got a bit tedious. The text supplied by the three artists was embarrassingly rambling.

Throughout, the passages that really gripped my attention and interest tended to be tangents or asides, and I was saddened by the return to the actual topic at hand. However, I do count reading the book as time well spent.

[Herman Plasmans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book