The Artist's Way

them, but since they feed on power, any power source will
do. Although quite frequently crazymakers are found
among the rich and famous, they are common even among
commoners. Right in the nuclear family (there’s a reason we
use that word), a resident crazymaker may often be found
pitting family member against family member, undercutting
anyone’s agenda but his or her own.
I am thinking now of a destructive matriarch of my
acquaintance. The titular head of a large and talented clan,
she has devoted her extensive energies to destroying the
creativity of her children. Always choosing critical moments
for her sabotage, she plants her bombs to explode just as her
children approach success.
The daughter struggling to finish a belated college degree
finds herself saddled with a suddent drama the night before
her final exam. The son with a critical job interview is gifted
with a visitation just when he needs to focus the most.
“Do you know what the neighbors are saying about
you?” the crazymaker will often ask. (And the beleaguered
student mother will hear a horrific round of gossip that
leaves her battered, facing her exam week beset by feelings
of “What’s the use?”)
“Do you realize you’re ruining your own marriage with
this possible new job?” (And the son’s hopeful career move
is ashes before it begins.)
Whether they appear as your overbearing mother, your
manic boss, your needy friend, or your stubborn spouse, the
crazymakers in your life share certain destructive patterns