Mental Illness & The Artistic Mind

 

What comes to your mind when you think of mental illness? Some people think of news stories where a mass shooter just shot up some school or church. Others think of people being drugged up to the point where they are drooling on themselves. Still, others think of loved ones who have committed suicide. But, how many of you think of the arts when you think of mental illness? I am willing to guess that not many of you do. Regardless of whether you want to acknowledge it or not, there seems to be a link between creativity and mental illness. This is not to say that every person with mental illness is creative. Some of us are more analytical than we are creative. However, there is a good number of people with mental illness who seem to have some unique creative abilities. In this blog, I shall discuss six famous artists who were exceptionally creative and yet suffered from some serious mental illnesses. Afterward, I will give my thoughts on why this seems to be the case. The hope is that after you read this blog you will begin to see those of us with mental illness in a more positive light instead of thinking negatively about us. 

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) 

Vincent Van Gogh is probably the most famous artist who suffered from mental illness. He suffered from anxiety and depression for most of his life and even famously said, "I put my heart and soul into my work, and I lost my mind in the process". He was a Dutch post-impressionist painter of landscapes, who died from a self-afflicted gunshot wound after many years of dealing with depression and anxiety. The most familiar story about Vincent Van Gogh is the one about how he cut off his right ear and mailed it to his ex-wife. He was a very troubled man. 

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) 

Edgar Degas was a man of solitude who would stay in his studio and only came out at night to walk the streets of Paris. He had a small group of friends with whom he would visit saloons. Degas suffered from bouts of depression his entire life and remained alone. He spent the last years of his life nearly blind and wandering aimlessly around the streets. One of the reasons why he was such a lonely man was because many people did not understand his cruel sense of humor. 

Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian artist who suffered from anxiety and hallucinations. His most famous work of art, called The Scream, was inspired by his walk along a beach where he saw the sun turn blood red. He remarked about it saying, "I stood there trembling with anxiety, and I sensed an endless scream passing through nature". Edvard Munch's grandfather suffered from depression, while his aunt suffered from Schizophrenia. It is very common for mental illness to run in families. In 1908, his anxiety, coupled with heavy drinking, became much worse, as he experienced more hallucinations and feelings of persecution. As a result, he entered a treatment facility for eight months. He admitted that he saw his mental illness as a motivation for his artwork. It is quite astounding how he was able to see his mental illness in a more positive light than most other people. 



Mark Rothko (1903-1970)

He was an American abstract expressionist painter, who was born in Latvia, but was raised in Portland, Oregon, and spent most of his adult life in New York City. He dealt with depression while being a heavy drinker as well. It is common for people with mental illness to have what is called a "dual diagnosis", which means the person has a substance addiction and a mental illness. In 1968, he was diagnosed with a mild aortic aneurysm, but he ignored his doctor's advice to quit drinking and smoking, eat a healthy diet, and exercise more. On February 25th, 1970, he was found dead in his kitchen. The cause of his death was an apparent suicide, but there was no suicide note. 

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986)

Georgia O'Keeffe was an American artist who dealt with depression, although, her depression was more situational. She was hospitalized in 1933 after she had a nervous breakdown. She stayed there for nearly two months. Her photographer, with whom she was in a relationship, was having an affair with a woman who was two decades younger than she was. She was invited to paint the women's powder room in New Radio City. At first, she accepted because she was up for the challenge of painting a mural, but then she declined later because she realized that it would not dry in time. Afterward, she became very depressed and isolated herself, wept for days, and stopped eating. Eventually, she moved to a house on a ranch in Ghost Ranch, north of Abiquiu. The warmth and beauty of the surrounding area seemed to help her heal. 

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)

Michelangelo was a meticulous artist who would shut himself away from society to work on his art for days without eating and getting very little sleep. He suffered from bouts of depression, but some people speculate that he had Obsessive-Compulsive disorder too. He sculpted his best-known works, the David and Pieta before he turned thirty. He lived the life of a poor man and often slept in his clothes and boots. In one of his letters to his father, he said the following, 

"I lead a miserable existence and reck not of life nor of honor--that is of this world; I live wearied of stupendous labors and beset by a thousand anxieties. And thus I lived for some fifteen years now and never an hour's happiness have I had" 

I could go on for days talking about different artists, both ancient and modern, who dealt with various mental illnesses, but I think you get the point. We should not feel alone with our afflictions because there are many people just like us. Now, before I close this blog, I'd like to discuss why I think those of us with mental illness seem to be so creative. There are really three reasons for this in my opinion. The three reasons are the following: 

1) We Have Very Active Imaginations 

2) We Are Very Emotional 

3) We Have A Lot Of Time 

I will elaborate on each of these points in a minute, but I would like to say that these are not the only points. There are many other points I could discuss, but these are the main ones. If you can think of more, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. 

We Have Very Active Imaginations 

For those of us with mental illnesses, our minds are constantly going from one idea to the next idea very quickly. As a result, our minds can think of very elaborate things in great detail. For example, my mind is constantly thinking of different plots and scenarios, and that is why it is so easy for me to write stories. Other people with mental illnesses can picture different images in their heads with great detail. As a result, they can take what is in their head and put it on paper, or a canvas. 

We Are Very Emotional 

Emotion is a powerful motivator for creativity. I say this because any work of art that is done with care will have some profound emotion behind it. We do not look at a beautiful piece of artwork and not feel moved by it. The reason we are so moved by a piece of beautiful art is because the artist put so much emotion into their work. When a writer writes a story, they tend to use situations that they are familiar with. Why? It is because they understand the emotion behind that situation, and thus it makes it more authentic. 

We Have A Lot Of Time 

As you may know, a lot of people with mental illnesses do not have regular jobs. As a result, we do have a lot of spare time on our hands. What happens when you take someone with a lot of spare time coupled with an active imagination and a lot of emotions? You get someone who can create amazing works of art, whether it be music, books, paintings, or whatever. Since we have a lot of time on our hands, we can spend that time doing something we love to do. As a result, we can put our hearts into our work. This is not to say that someone who works a traditional job cannot do the same thing. Of course, they can. However, for those of us with mental illnesses who cannot work a traditional job, we just have more time to do the things we love to do. 

I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read my blog and I hope that this helps you better understand the link between mental illness and the creative mind. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website