Is Sensitivity Creativity’s Curse?

Are you a writer?

Are you told that you are too sensitive?

This is not an uncommon characteristic in those of us who are creative. Even one who might be accused of excessive machismo, Ernest Hemingway, was a deeply sensitive person. Upon first reading, his stories can be construed as epic adventures, read them a second time and you will find they are introspective examinations of the human condition.

The simple truth is, whether we are creating great works of art, or simply great works of our own art, to tell a tale, we have to not just become one with the characters, we must become the characters.

When I write, the characters are not merely extensions of me — while I am writing, I am that character. It is why, when writing a book in which the main character commits suicide, I had to step away for days, if not weeks at a time. The emotional connection I was creating was such, that it overwhelmed me. Joe is no longer occupying the mind of the person at the keyboard.

I needed space to get back to being Joe.

As writers, it isn’t a choice to be sensitive. Sensitivity is what allows us to tap into the sometimes dark and distant recesses of mind and imagination.

Yes, sensitivity can be viewed as a curse, but more importantly, it is the true gift to the creative mind.

Simply stated, without sensitivity, there is no heart, there is no soul, and there is no connection to and within the art which is our stories.

It is why when we write — we bleed.

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The Damaged and Broken Collection“ is a contemporary fiction series written by storyteller Joe Leonardi, focusing on heavy, real-world themes such as trauma, PTSD, suicide, bullying, and societal struggle.

The series explores characters navigating deep emotional and psychological scars. The books included in the collection, ranked by their volume number, are:

Author Background

I am an independent, self-published teller of tales, an author of scarcely any renown.

However, as a storyteller, I know who I am, and with that persona, I am both confident and comfortable.

I invite you to visit my website, ShortStoryScribe.com and/or Amazon Author Pages if you are so inclined please purchase a copy and leave a review.

****Leonardi identifies primarily as a storyteller rather than a formal academic, emphasizing raw, narrative-driven impact over rigid grammatical structures. His personal website and bibliography can be explored via his Amazon Author Profile.