See, this is my problem sometimes. Maybe it’s an empathy gene that I’m unable to turn off. Maybe it’s my Catholic upbringing where I automatically feel guilty for whatever is going on in the world, even if I had nothing to do with it. Maybe it’s that I haven’t done enough to train myself to be proactive instead of reactive. Empathy’s good, sure. I’m glad I have the ability to utilize it. But I’m really sick of getting caught in that Everything Is Horrible Nothing Is Fine reaction. It’s not debilitating to me as I can manage how much media I take in, but it is distracting.
I say this here at WtBt, because this reactive part of me is not conducive to my creativity. On the contrary, it usually stops it cold. And I fucking hate that. This is why this post is so late today. I just could not find anything worth writing about last night, and I had to beg off so I could get my editing done.
So. What to do about that.
I’m not going to be a blissed-out hippie or an e-head raver and avoid the world. It’s kind of too late and I’m too old for that. But what I can do is be healthier on the emotional/spiritual end of things. [By now, you know by ‘spiritual’ I mean mind-and-body stuff and not religion. Not dissing it, just that I’m not looking for that right now.] Give myself a more positive outlook on life. Be more proactive on how I process things in the Big Bad World rather than just being reactive about it.
And in the process, that just might open up more creative avenues for me.
Welcome to Bridgetown 
It is challenging, to be sure. And I think we all find our own way of coping or managing, in the end. Also, that may evolve, too.
Personally, I initially felt a really strong urge to panic and I realized that my general discomfort and dis-ease and fear was being fueled by outside sources, urging me to act, don’t think, act.
There is a lot of thinking in creation.
I thought, what’s the best way to respond? What’s the most efficient way to react that has impact? No one had an answer for me, possibly because they didn’t have an answer, possibly because the control lies in panicked behavior. Who knows?
I soon realized that I preferred a logic action for a purpose and I could only sustain the OMG panic all the time for so long.
So, I found a way to giveback, contribute, etc. and I’m am 100% devoting time to that. And yes, it IS turning out to be creative.