Artists with mental disorders Anxiety is commonly known as a dreadful and unspeakable illness that unfortunately many people suffer from, but some might be able to use it to their advantage. Instead of letting their anxiety take over their mind and body, some release it into their creative needs. For a long time, people had no idea exactly what mental illnesses were. They would think that the person was crazy and throw them in a psych ward. But times have changed and millions of people around the world claim to have these mental disorders and continue to live normal lives anyway. How they learn to deal with these disorders has also changed too. Many find themselves turning to the creative field to express their anxiety that would be bubbling …show more content…
This isn't just a made up fact either. Plenty of real life people use their anxiety to their advantage. Dan Scotti wrote an article about how anxiety can actually sometimes help creative types. He talks about singer Jerry Garcia and how Garcia writes his uplifting songs when he's in a very dark state of mind. Scotti states how he would have never guessed Garcia had anxiety when he read that quote from him. Artists will use these mental illnesses as a strength instead of letting it be a weakness because they learn how to get a better understanding of their illness quicker than others might. Many artists throughout history have done this, such as Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso; the list of artists can go on and on. I, for one, understand Scotti’s logic because I have used my anxiety to come up with ideas to put into my work. I will sometimes vent by using my art to ease my nerves, and it then becomes a creative piece of art that I would probably not have made otherwise. It's similar to how singers like Garcia write their dark thoughts into their songs and create a hit song that goes up in the charts. Artists tend to have some sort of mental illness, but they know how to turn …show more content…
Throughout the years, more and more people are diagnosed with mental illnesses and are treated accordingly with better professional help. Usually, everyone eventually finds their own coping mechanism to help ease or repress the illness. More often than not, these confrontations to mental illnesses are through the work of art. However, as there are often negative effects for just about anything, artists can get hurt with their coping mechanism through art also. Almost anyone an artist comes in contact with, that person will critique and judge just about every move the artist makes. So then the artist feels pressured to do everything correct and try to constantly make the right moves. Paula Prober, a licensed counselor, writes about how creative people are likely more susceptible to harboring stress and anxiety. She writes, “Your very active rainforest mind is able to dream up so many things to worry about. Less complex minds may worry less because there isn’t as much thinking.” (Prober). What she means is that with creative thinking comes more stress because you think up so many ideas and then people will pressure you to actually go along with those ideas perfectly. This puts anxiety on these artists and creative people's shoulders while they have other problems to worry about. But since these creative people
Throughout the years, and throughout various forms of media, some of the greatest creative minds have been the victims of the most unfortunate circumstances. For many, their major problem is that of addiction, and one could say that it affects their work, for better or worse. For example, a writer’s prose usually is affected at least partly by the author’s inner dialogue, and thus, the author’s problems get mixed in with their writings. Therefore, the author’s addictions become a part of the work itself.
Kurt Snyder’s schizophrenia was brought on from environmental factors, as well as abnormal brain structures and chemistry. He never mentioned this in the story, however it diagnosable. During his first year of college was a stressful time for him, and this was when he experienced his first symptom. He could have saved his academic scholarship if he went to a psychiatrist sooner, and explained to them what exactly was going on. Although that is not what happened for Kurt Snyder. He kept experiencing positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. His positive symptoms were delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts. (Snyder, 2007).
The average joe is talented in many different ways. Some sing, others dance and things that one does not imagine possible; people out there make it possible. Art is a lifestyle for many. The majority of the time art is being formed is because there is a purpose; a meaningful connection with the creator and creation. A form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication defines art therapy (Nice Pictures). This is how many express themselves. They have nothing else to turn to; they turn to what they know best. It covers a variety of activities from skateboarding to graffiti to playing sports. An autistic teenager learns to
Everyone has obstacles to overcome. For example, getting through school, getting a good job, injuries, and family struggles. Anxiety is what set James Collier back from being happy. Phil Hansen injured his hand and that set him back from doing the art he wanted to do. Overcoming obstacles is possible if one works hard, and sets small goals for the future. When Hansen injured his hand he quit at school and became unhappy, he later decided to go back to school and look at art in a different perspective. Collier wanted to travel to Argentina but he had bad anxiety and that’s what set him back from having a blast and traveling. Hansen could of gave up his dream of art but he decided that was is passion and he was going to continue to do it. Art
“HE’S GOT THE WORLD ON TWO STRINGS”(pg21). Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers go through a lot since Steve met Nathaniel a homeless man whole plays the violin in downtown Los Angeles. Nathaniel is a homeless man who has paranoid schizophrenia travels downtown Los Angeles pushing his cart with his violin in it. Steve is a writer works for the Los Angeles Times and is always looking for a story for he can write for his column. Both Nathaniel and Steve create a friendship even though with all the challenges but in the book The Soloist it shows how they created a friendship. Even though in The Soloist they talk about how mental illness is a choice, force medication to treat the illness, and the way people treat you.
A 1949 study of 113 German artists, writers, architects, and composers was one of the first to undertake an extensive, in-depth investigation of both artists and their relatives. Although two-thirds of the 113 artists and writers were "psychically normal," there were more suicides and "insane and neurotic" individuals in the artistic group than could be expected in the general population, with the highest rates of psychiatric abnormality found in poets (50%) and musicians (38%). (1) Many other similar tests revealed th...
My vision of Art Therapy was very vague. I always thought art therapy was a form of therapy for distressed or abused children trying to tell a story through pictures or drawings. The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well being of individuals of all ages. Art therapy is a form psychotherapy that has been practiced for over sixty years and it has been promoted as a means of helping people who find it difficult to express themselves verbally (Crawford, et al., 2010). Art therapy sessions usually start with a form of relaxation such as deep breathing , progressive muscle relaxation, or setting an intention for the session ahead (Hart, 2010). Art therapy is used for several different types of people with diverse illnesses such as: Autism Spectrum Disorder, people living with HIV/AIDS, mental disorders and even Cancer. Studies show that art therapy can lead to increased self awareness of self, as well as improved ability to cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences (American Art Therapy Association). This form of therapy helps these patients express positive feelings that may not be easy to access in the midst of a fear provoking experience (Hart, 2010). Art therapy help people to identify their feelings, and resolve the issues associated with their illness. Although, my lack of knowledge on this therapeu...
...ve them of their inspiration and interfere with their creativity. It is a thorny, and relatively new, question, and Jamison merely outlines the controversy without offering an opinion on what should be done to rectify the situation, leaving the door open for further research. Mental illness in artists is a fascinating subject, and Jamison does an excellent job of providing a through portrait of many artists who have grappled with manic-depressive disorder, in addition to exploring how these disorders affect creativity and productivity. Jamison also maintains an awareness of the objections to her attempts to draw a correlation
The Soloist (Foster, Krasnoff & Wright, 2008), is based on a true story of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr. who develops psychosis and becomes homeless. In the film, Nathaniel is considered a cello genius who is discovered on the streets by Steve Lopez, a journalist from the Los Angeles Times. Steve was searching for a story and he decided to write a newspaper article about Nathaniel. Nathaniel always had a passion for music. He was a child prodigy and attended Juilliard School of Music. However, he faced many complications at Juilliard, particularly hearing voices speaking to him. Unable to handle the voices, Nathaniel dropped out and ended up living on the streets of Los Angeles. Steve and Nathaniel develops an unexpected
When I was a high school student I was deciding on potential career paths, there were three areas that sparked interest to me. Them being psychology, social work, and nursing. The results on many career aptitude tests suggested similar fields as well. Upon discussion about career choices in a class, a few of my colleagues, and teachers had discouraged me from entering the field of psychology as they stated that it was frightening to interact with individuals who were suffering, and that consequently I would develop a mental illness as well. The beliefs and attitudes surrounding mental health are very stigmatizing for individuals who have mental health disorders, this effects their accessibility and quality to receive help. The purpose of
Do you know what it feels like to have your palms sweat, throat close up, and your fingers tremble? This is the everyday life of someone who lives with anxiety. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I hear my brain freaking out about the day ahead of me. What do I eat for breakfast? What do I do first when I get home from school? What happens if I get in a car crash on my way to school? A million thoughts at one time racing through my head. I never have the time to process all of them. Most mornings, I lay in my bed and have to take a few deep breaths to begin my hectic but not so hectic day. That’s just the beginning. It’s safe to say that I feel that I 'm an anxious person and that I have an anxiety disorder.
Edvard Munch - angst / anxiety." ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum - Oplevelser i Aarhus. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.< http://www.aros.dk/besoeg-aros/udstillinger/2012/edvard-munch-angst-anxiety/
This makes them susceptible to injuries in their careers, as well as injuries further down the line. As they begin to age, the effects of their tough physical activity can show if they are not treated properly. More detrimental to their careers are the present day, short-term injuries that can put them out of work. Being out of work can torment these performers financially and keep them from improving and growing in their career. Therefore, their chance of getting hired once they have healed decreases substantially. Perhaps the more monstrous of the issues is the effect that performing arts has on the mind. Many performers develop mental illnesses and issues due to the stress of performing arts. The monstrosity found in their minds can outweigh their physical pains and injuries. For instance, performers are more likely to develop depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and eating disorders, just to name a few (Miller 19). These are a few of the most common monsters that can be found in the performers’
The link between creativity and mental illnesses is a topic that has been debated for centuries. The great philosophers Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle all discussed the connection as well. Even in today’s society, there is an ever-present stereotype that creative individuals (i.e. poets, writers, artists, designers, etc.) suffer from bouts of depression, mania, or mental illnesses. It is an age-old question: does depression/mania effect creativity? There is a lot of evidence that both supports and denies the truth behind this question. Some researchers believe the link between depression and creativity is strictly genetic while others believe there is none at all. The argument for this discussion will mostly support the argument that creativity is absolutely a result, cause, and remedy of mania. The manic-depressive illnesses discussed in this debate will mostly include bipolar disorder, mania, and depression. However, there are a lot of factors that play a role in this debate. To discuss, we must first define creativity, the creative process, manic-depressive illnesses, and rumination.
Many people feel apprehensive and miserable every now and then, but when does it take over their whole lives? Losing a loved one, doing poorly in school or work, being bullied and other hardships might lead a person to feel sad, lonely, scared, nervous and/or anxious. Some people experience this on an everyday basis, sometimes even or no reason at all. Those people might have an anxiety disorder, depression, or both. It is highly likely for someone with an anxiety disorder to also be suffering from depression, or the other way around. 50% of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.