The Cost of Creativity

Edvard Munch, 1893, The Scream, oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard, 91 x 73 cm, National Gallery of Norway

Aristotle is once said to have said, “No great genius has ever existed without a strain of madness." So with this quote in mind, we come to the question:

Is there a mental cost to creativity? This question has been pondered for hundreds of years, so I won't be the first to entertain that thought; neither will you be. But just because this question has been asked so many times makes it no less valid, especially in these perilous times we live in, to borrow a phrase.

Throughout history, there have been a number of creative geniuses said to suffer from bouts of melancholia, nervousness, or hysteria. Perhaps the most famous example of such is Vincent Van Gogh.

Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait, oil on board, 1887

Van Gogh was said to have suffered from psychotic episodes for much of his life, culminating in his suicide in 1890 at the age of 37. But it can be said that 'psychosis' is symptomatic of other, underlying disorders and not itself a proper diagnosis. Van Gogh's illness has been studied and speculating on down to this day, with the mystery still not completely unraveled. And this is also the case with considering the 'link' between creativity and mental illness, if indeed such a link actually exists at all. You have to remember, correlation and causation are not synonymous. But while you chew on that, consider another handful of creatives who had their own struggles with inner demons.

Ludwig Van Beethoven, Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Ludwig Van Beethoven is to music what Van Gogh may have been to art; an incredible talent and a terrible sufferer of a troubled mind. Besides being known for going deaf, it seems he may have suffered from bipolar disorder. In fact, he is quoted to have said:

"I joyfully hasten to meet death. If it come before I have had opportunity to develop all my artistic faculties, it will come, my hard fate notwithstanding, too soon, and I should probably wish it later - yet even then I shall be happy, for will it not deliver me from a state of endless suffering?"

Wow. I know all those feels, bro. I myself, have struggled with many a dark mood, so I can definitely relate. But I digress.

Norwegian painter Edvard Munch is yet another artist who suffered from dark mood. His painting above, called Der Schrei der Natur , better known as The Scream is one of the most recognizable images of all time, and is emblematic of mental illness, anxiety, and despair. Munch lived through tumultuous times in history, surviving both the Nazi movement and the Spanish Flu, which he contracted in 1919. Prior to that experience, he suffered a mental breakdown in 1908. And like Beethoven, he provided us with a quote about mental health. In 1892 he said in his diary:

“My fear of life is necessary to me, as is my illness. Without anxiety and illness, I am a ship without a rudder. My art is grounded in reflections over being different from others. My sufferings are part of my self and my art. They are indistinguishable from me, and their destruction would destroy my art. I want to keep those sufferings.”

But is it really the case that mental illness and suffering are necessary to draw out inner creativity? And, which comes first - creativity or mental maladjustment? Its the chicken and egg conundrum all over again.

So...which do you think came first?

A 2018 article in Psychology Today, while unsure about the correlation between the two, seems to imply that the angst of mental or emotional disorders can at least be channeled into creative outlets. Another 2012 article posits that individuals working in creative fields showed a statistically significant increase of around 8% in the prevalence of bipolar disorder compared to the general population.

We still really don't know a lot about the inner workings of the human mind, and about why some people seem to be so creative, and others not so much. I suppose the take home lesson is get help if you need to. Suffering from a mental illness is no fun at all. And if possible, try to channel some of that inner chaos- which can be a source of energy- into some creative outlet. Who knows, it may just bring you some relief. For me, just writing this piece has helped me feel a smidge better about my own situation.

Anyway, good health to you guys, and I'll see you in the next one.