Notes from the Creative Literary Arts Editor

Psychoanalysis is an inherently creative process. It is two individuals coming together to explore, to play, and to make meaning out of the mysteries in the mind. It is therefore no wonder so many artists of various disciplines enter this field. Actors, poets, musicians, painters, and writers abound, wearing the dual hat of creative practitioner and clinician.

Psychoanalytic Perspectives has always recognized and championed the creative aspect of our work. Since the journal’s inception in 2003, Perspectives has dedicated a section of its pages to exploring the Creative Arts. At the helm of this singular section, unique in the field of psychoanalytic journals, was the inimitable Bonnie Zindel, who served as the Creative Literary Arts Editor from 2003 to 2018.

Throughout her tenure, Bonnie reached hundreds of analysts from all corners of the world. She offered them a forum for creative expression, which was often tinged with psychoanalytic undertones. I was fortunate to work with Bonnie for several of these years, and through those experiences, my curiosity was ignited. I witnessed first-hand the abundance of artists who are also psychoanalysts. I wondered what accounted for the presence of so many creatives among us. I thought about the parallels between one’s work as an artist and one’s work as a psychoanalyst, and imagined how the two disciplines inform each other. For this issue, I asked the founder of this section, Bonnie Zindel, to explore these questions herself.

I had known of Bonnie’s considerable success as a writer for many years. Recently, however, I discovered her interest in and gift for painting. I asked Bonnie to write about her creative process, and perhaps share some paintings with us. The following pages feature Bonnie’s response, Painting Feelings, as well as pictures of two of her works. In Painting Feelings, Bonnie shares a bit about her