The tragic affairs of the “tortured artist” are not, and never will be, foreign to us. We are, on the contrary, well acquainted with the Greats—the notorious tortured artists of this world—that have weathered the sufferings—callous and unforgiving—of sadness; Van Gogh’s mutilation immortalized through his self-portrait, depicting the very spot where knife met flesh—gauze covers the right side of his head, where his ear once resided; Sylvia Plath’s suicide, in which she thrusts her head into the oven, her children sleeping nearby as the carbon monoxide steals away her last strands of breath; Robin Williams, beloved actor and comedian, whose death devastated the world.

These individuals, of course, only contribute to a fraction of what appears to be an eternalized list. Beethoven, Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Frida Kahlo, Anne Sexton, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse–they were all tortured artists. Some took their own lives. Some passed away due to physical illnesses. But there is no denying that each of these men and women died in the company of their own sadness.

Sadness, indeed, seems to be a commonality among creative thinkers; while depression is not prone to infect the minds of creatives alone, it is far more prevalent among creatives than it is in the “average” person. A report published in The Guardian (2014) states, “painters, musicians, and dancers were, on average, 25 % more likely to carry the gene variants [for depression] than professions scientists deemed as being less creative.” This statistic represents a group of people that,  according to psychologists, have an increased tendency to ruminate, in comparison to non-creatives.

To conventional dictionary definitions, ruminating, to put it simply, refers to contemplation, typically to an extent of great depth. But from a psychological standpoint, ruminating holds a negative connotation since it describes an obsessive act in which an individual repetitively reflects on distressing thoughts or situations.  Depressive rumination, in particular, concerns one’s feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness and is usually spurred on by memory; that is, when a person is feeling depressed about something that is occurring in their present lives, memory causes them to recall other instances in which they also felt depressed. This proves especially troublesome for creatives–painters, poets, musicians, etc–who “connect the small details of everything [they] experience, the good and the bad” as is reiterated by Tanner Christensen in “The Link Between Creativity and Depression.”  

Being a poet myself, I find Christensen’s description of a creative’s rumination process to be both warranted and accurate. While an artist’s work may be inspired by a grand miscellany of factors, it is often the desire for catharsis that prompts an artist to create in the first place. Because catharsis is a form of release that is used to remedy some unfavourable emotion, it is an alleviation that is almost always exclusive to pain; there is obviously no need for one to purge themselves of happiness because happiness does not have any distinct, negative impacts on emotional health.

However, while catharsis might provide relief, it is the process through which a creative seeks to attain this relief, that their sorrows become more prominent. This is because, to create art that is cathartic, one must first reflect on the sadness that has inflicted them. But, similar to a domino effect, what might start out as a mere reflection may eventually manifest itself in the form of rumination, in which a person might obsessively deliberate the hardships that have burdened them, thus deepening any feelings of depression.

But surely catharsis—despite the fact that it is an instigator of the rumination process—is capable of relieving any depressive thoughts, right?

Well, not exactly.

Another issue that is common among creatives is one’s incapability to formulate solutions to their problems. This definitely explains the rumination of creatives; it is not necessary to obsess over a problem that has been solved–a problem that no longer exists. Ironically enough, creatives are also incredibly imaginative, so you’d think that this imagination could be utilized to come up with new, efficient ways to approach an obstacle. Instead, and on the contrary, however, it is imagination that enables a creative to catastrophize, which, in turn, causes them to view their tribulations as being permanent and seemingly insurmountable.

Moreover, imagination is a catalyst for idealism, something that may appear to be innately good, but, in actuality, puts creatives at risk; that is to say, idealism is capable of antagonizing a creative by immersing them within an illusion, one that represents, perhaps the lifestyle a creative wants  but does not have—something they may never be able to achieve in the first place. Eventually, the inevitable shattering of the illusion proves itself to be all the more devastating as a creative is forced to come to terms with the true nature of their reality. As a result, a creative is more likely to become dissatisfied with their life.  Thus, while catharsis might be able to temporarily reduce emotional tension, it is, by no means, something that can sustain one’s happiness.

Additionally, artists are known for the precarious lives they lead—they are typically known for living on the edge. The continuous recklessness associated with living on the edge too acts as an inhibition to the establishment of a healthy state of mind; artists, in an attempt to rid themselves of their sadness, are more likely to take risks, which usually lead to consequences, and, therefore feelings of regret on the artist’s part. For instance, many creatives—and anyone who suffers from chronic depression, for that matter— self-medicate in order to ease daily anxieties. Alcohol, as well any non-stimulant drug, are often the means through which an individual might self-medicate, as these substances have a calming effect on the nerves. Of course, something that may be overlooked by a user is the fact that each substance is a depressant, and that both alcohol and drugs can be detrimental to their physical health if they are used on a consistent basis. For example, substance abuse can lead to liver damage and failure. Under such circumstances–bodily deterioration– a creative is, without a doubt, left feeling dejected—both worthless and inadequate— as their degenerating body appears to betray them. Some, on the other hand, may, instead, overdose whether it be an intentional overdose or not. Why do you think so many creatives die young?

But, ironically enough, to some, depression is considered to be an evolutionary strength, especially by supporters of Darwin’s “only the strongest will survive”; Darwinists believe that depression encourages us to become better–stronger– psychologically because we desire to rise above the pain it causes. While I do not necessarily agree with this—I personally do not think depression propagates our chances of survival, as the number of people who have taken their lives due to their inability to cope with their depression is, in itself, unfathomable–and while I certainly do not view a depressed individual as being weak or incapable, I can appreciate the “moving on” mentality of “only the strongest will survive.”

And, by “moving on” I don’t mean spontaneously ridding ourselves of our depression. Because let’s be real here. That is neither realistic or possible. As someone who has struggled with depression her whole life, and as someone who is, on top of that, a creative, moving on for me means living when I so badly do not want to. This way, I can continue to do what I do best–write poetry. Because dead girls certainly cannot write poetry.

And I want to write, to create, with the purpose of honouring all of the tortured artists we have lost to depression, those who let their creativity destroy them.

I want to live on for those who could not—who chose not to— live.

Van Gogh. Sylvia Plath. Robin Williams. And all the rest.

This is for you.

~

Inspired by the same themes present in this article, I have written a poem that is also entitled “Art Imitates Sadness “   If you are willing, I’d appreciate it if you gave it a read. 😉

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• Christensen, T. (2013). The link between depression and creativity, and how it can be good for you. [online] Creative Something. Available at: https://creativesomething.net/post/55508909341/the-link-between-depression-and-creativity-and [Accessed 15 April  2018] 
• Wehrenberg, M. (2016). Rumination: A Problem in Anxiety and Depression. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/depression-management-techniques/201604/rumination-problem-in-anxiety-and-depression [Accessed 15 April 2018].
• The Ranch. (2017). Artists and Depression: The Link Between Depression and Creativity | The Ranch. [online] Available at: https://www.recoveryranch.com/articles/artists-depression-link-depression-creativity/ [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018].
• Biali, S. (2012). A Little Weird? Prone to Depression? Blame Your Creative Brain. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prescriptions-life/201204/little-weird-prone-depression-blame-your-creative-brain [Accessed 15 April 2018].
• Eyeondesign.aiga.org. (n.d.). The Links Between Creativity and Depression | | Eye on Design. [online] Available at: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/the-links-between-creativity-and-depression/ [Accessed 15 April 2018].
• Matthews, H. (2009). Top 10 Tortured Artists – Toptenz.net. [online] Toptenz.net. Available at: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-tortured-artists.php [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018].