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Group Synchronization During Collaborative Drawing Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

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The Internal Collaborator: Creative Method as Transitional Subject.

Aaron Helgeson^1,2

¹Aaron Helgeson Associate Professor of Composition and Music Theory, Montclair State University.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association

|January 7, 2026

Summary

Artists often feel ideas come from an external source, described as a transitional subject. This paper introduces the "internal collaborator" concept, exploring its role in creative methods and mental well-being.

Keywords:

art creativity depression music composition transitional subject

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Area of Science:

Psychoanalysis
Psychology of Creativity
Art Therapy

Background:

Creative artists frequently report external idea sources.
Psychoanalyst Michel Émile de M'Uzan termed this a transitional subject.
This subject exists at the boundary of self and non-self.

Purpose of the Study:

To extend de M'Uzan's transitional subject concept to creativity.
To propose the concept of an internal collaborator.
To explore the relationship between creative methods, the unconscious, and mental well-being.

Main Methods:

Conceptual extension of psychoanalytic theory.
Exploration of the artist's work method as a manifestation of the transitional subject.
Case study analysis of the author's life history, music, and depression.

Main Results:

The internal collaborator protects the ego during the creative process.
Artists' relationships with internal collaborators mirror early relationships with authority figures.
Creative methods are co-constructed with the unconscious self.

Conclusions:

The internal collaborator is a key psychoanalytic concept in understanding artistic creation.
The dynamic with the internal collaborator significantly impacts an artist's mental health.
Understanding this internal relationship can inform therapeutic approaches for artists.