i want to start by reading part of an article from the pittsburgh city paper from november 2021, and while it’s a little over a year old i still think the idea behind this part is still alive and well in the us today.
“In her acclaimed 2018 stand-up special Nanette, Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby recounts how a man came up to her after a show to comment on her revealing that she took antidepressants.
“He said, ‘You shouldn’t take medication because you’re an artist. It’s important that you feel,’” she says. He then went on to say that if painter Vincent van Gogh had taken medication, the world wouldn’t have his famous work “The Sunflowers.”
Gadsby, who studied art history, is quick to explain that not only did van Gogh self-medicate with alcohol, but took prescribed medication, a derivative of the foxglove plant that intensified how he saw the yellow hues in “The Sunflowers.” She mentions that he also painted portraits of psychiatrists who were, in fact, treating and medicating him.
“So perhaps we have 'The Sunflowers' precisely because van Gogh medicated,” she concludes to a laughing and applauding crowd.
This bit speaks to a stigma that has long plagued the arts community, where the stereotype of the “tortured artist” who must suffer for their art can affect how creative types are perceived, and lead to consequences for those struggling with mental illness. This is compounded in the U.S. by a system that, due to economic conditions and employment status, leaves many working artists without health care, therapy, and other resources needed to access treatment or crisis help. “ - pgh city paper
while it’s true that… artists often face obstacles that are otherwise unknown to those with a traditional 9 to 5 job….this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re more likely to have struggles with their mental health. there are plenty of creatives who have otherwise led fairly “normal” lives (think einstein, whitman, aldous huxley - more on him later, carl jung, and duke ellington to name a few). Reports, such as the Stanford 35 – year follow-up study of over 1,000 “geniuses”, Ellis' psycho biographical study of eminent men, the MacKinnon study of creativity in architects and others, suggest a connection between creativity and mental health rather than mental illness. artists known to have struggled with mental illness may be more written about, thus perpetuating the stereotype of the struggling artist.
(Studies trying to correlate mental health and artistic talent have only solidified harmful stereotypes. In 2015, major news outlets reported that a study from deCODE, a genetics company based in Reykjavik, Iceland, argued that those with a higher genetic risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were more likely to pursue creative professions. Detractors were quick to point out, however, that the research behind the study was too narrow and flawed to draw any real conclusions) - these types of studies can end up doing more harm than good…
what does all this mean for an artist struggling with their mental wellbeing?
less availability of services covered by artists healthcare/insurance
Projects and socialization and networking may struggle…these are key action items for our success as creators
If you are looking for a way out of depression or ways of dealing witj anxiety or another mental illness you may find it hard to let go of them due to this stereotype of needing them to be creative In a 2019 article for Psychology Today, author Ewan Morrison examined how conflating creativity with mental illness could lead to artists depending on producing art as a treatment, or refusing to medicate themselves for fear that it will affect their ability to create.
anyone, ANYONE, can struggle with mental health, not just artists; and being creative doesn’t mean you’re destined (or have) to have a struggle with mental illness.
if you are an artist struggling with mental health challenges, you can consider a combination of the following actions…
take time out for your mental health
reach out to friends and family for social support
reach out to your colleagues
therapy
helplines (If you need immediate support, call 1-800-273-8255)
have regular health checkups and checkins
practice self care - focus on eating healthy, maintaining a regular sleep pattern, and exercise regularly….i’ll have an episode later on self care for artists and creatives especially
practice mindfulness (meditation)…in the future, i’ll be offering some free meditations and yoga classes, as well as extra on the creating with impact patreon.
AND REMEMBER: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. no matter how bleak things are, there is always something or someone to help.
take a deep breath, find your rhythm, and start creating the life you want and the world you want to live in.
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