How Does Mental Illness Impact an Artist's Work?

[rewebster]

Thankyou i do find it very helpful, i suffer from depression myself and when i was a bit younger i used to write poetry and at my worse i whacked out an awful lot of art and became quite ahead in my class because that's all i ever did to express myself. I think children are just as important, because although my project is based around adults, they go through a lot of the same things adults do which are usually passed off because they are so young.

oh and im a girl

whoops, my assumption---I should have been a little more aware and recognized a softer writing style --and then asked anyway.

Are you looking at the history, personal subjective viewpoint, or inventory-type overview of others, general attitudes, images, or ?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Ok, admit it zoobyshoe, you take pictures and press "posterise" on adobe, the jig is up

Don't even say idiot **** like that. People will believe it.

 

[zoobyshoe]

The main one I am exploring is Bipolar, because during my research I've found it seems to be a lot more common.
And I've already interviewed an artist with bipolar and can't be bothered trying to get in touch with other artists, i was lucky with her, and very grateful for it.

"Can't be bothered"? If you're not going to try and get a real sampling of real working artists then you might as well be writing fiction.

I don't understand why you posted here at all. There are plenty of Art forums on the web.

 

[moe darklight]

Don't even say idiot **** like that. People will believe it.

tough crowd...

OP you should be more specific with your question, and an art forum would give you a larger sample.

 

[rewebster]

"Can't be bothered"? If you're not going to try and get a real sampling of real working artists then you might as well be writing fiction.

I don't understand why you posted here at all. There are plenty of Art forums on the web.

play nice, children

 

[zoobyshoe]

play nice, children

It's OK. I'm going to an art forum now to get some physics information.

 

[rewebster]

It's OK. I'm going to an art forum now to get some physics information.

good idea--there's a lot of physics in art, doncha know


and that's seems logical---especially since there's a lot of 'art' stuff here to look at and learn about from the artists here with their special more scientific perspective, too

 

[moe darklight]

play nice, children

It's OK. I'm going to an art forum now to get some physics information.

good idea--there's a lot of physics in art, doncha know


and that's seems logical---especially since there's a lot of 'art' stuff here to look at and learn about from the artists here with their special more scientific perspective, too

we're soo not getting ice-cream after dinner tonight.

 

[zoobyshoe]

good idea--there's a lot of physics in art, doncha know


and that's seems logical---especially since there's a lot of 'art' stuff here to look at and learn about from the artists here with their special more scientific perspective, too

It's funny: you run into artists now and then who have a lot more physics and chemistry knowledge than artists are supposed to. Supposedly artists hate science. Some of them enjoy it a lot, though.

 

[moe darklight]

I definitely do. I spend a lot of my free time reading on science, and I'm always on PF while I work on my computer... I barely ever go on the cinematography forums, unless I have a technical problem or something like that.

Plus, scientists are fun to talk to because, well, it's your job to know stuff, and people who know stuff are interesting to talk to... you don't find a lot of places on the internet where you can have a rational debate like on PF, and I love debating (obviously ); it's a great way to both learn and exercise one's mental muscles at the same time.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I agree with zooby that depression is more debilitating than enabling. At a very general level (I am not commenting on individual experiences, and I am not a mental health professional), I think fighting with depression (therapy, emotional awareness, etc.) is more likely to contribute to one's focus and productivity. IMO, the people who are more creative are the ones that have a handle on their depression -- they might be conscious of their anger and looking for a way to deal with it. (Or perhaps they are "riding the manic cycle" -- the opposite of depression.) Contrast this with someone who is not even aware that there is anger inside, just depressed; he or she would be more likely to just stare at the TV all day.

It's one of the hallmarks of depression that you no longer enjoy just about anything. It takes longer and longer to accomplish whatever you do undertake, and formerly enjoyed activities are no longer rewarding.

I think it's fairly common for people to try and fend it off before it reaches this point by undertaking solitary and introspective kinds of activities like art, journal writing, practicing musical instruments, and such.

This kind of therapeutic impulse isn't what drives real, working artists. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel did not represent a place where Michaelangelo could go and work out his emotional problems. A day's painting represented a huge amount of preparation, the gathering together and supervision of his assistants, and it had to be done in one fell swoop before the plaster dried. It was work. This is the way it is for working artists: you can't just drop things if you're not in the mood. You have to push yourself through distractions and keep the work going.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I definitely do. I spend a lot of my free time reading on science, and I'm always on PF while I work on my computer... I barely ever go on the cinematography forums, unless I have a technical problem or something like that.

Plus, scientists are fun to talk to because, well, it's your job to know stuff, and people who know stuff are interesting to talk to... you don't find a lot of places on the internet where you can have a rational debate like on PF, and I love debating (obviously ); it's a great way to both learn and exercise one's mental muscles at the same time.

So, you're some kind of cinematographer?

PF used to be full of fascinating people to talk to and debate with. Then there was this infestation of penguins and 13 year olds. It's seeming a little better now, though.

 

[moe darklight]

right now I just started doing some freelance editing (I'm only 19; just getting started). Saving some money to produce my own shorts, build up a resume, take it from there.

I'm doing editing right now because it's what I'm most technically skilled and comfortable with, plus you get to work from home a lot of times with the whole digital thing going on now.

cinematography.com is a forum where I find most people know their stuff, and they have editing/audio/directing sections, so I usually go there for help.

A debilitating depression would not work for a moviemaker. It's a LOT of hard work... especially if you're producing your own films, starting out and don't have a resume... you have to take care of city permits, actors releases, finding a crew you can count on, etc. etc. etc. ... I don't see anyone in a very deep depression taking on such large projects.

 

[moe darklight]

Then there was this infestation of penguins and 13 year olds. It's seeming a little better now, though.

is an infestation of 19 year-old proto-filmmakers at least a little less unbearable?

 

[Evo]

A guy is used to date is now a somewhat successful artist with art galleries exclusive to him in Connecticut and I forget where else. He didn't show up one night for our date, then called me two years later asking if I was ready to be picked up. He was joking, of course, he confessed to being bi-polar and having serious issues but was under medication and felt he could handle a relationship again. He was gorgeous, rich and talented and my youngest daughter talked me out of seeing him again. She said I had an obligation to another guy I was kind of dating at the time, which died shorty there after.

 

[zoobyshoe]

right now I just started doing some freelance editing (I'm only 19; just getting started). Saving some money to produce my own shorts, build up a resume, take it from there.

I'm doing editing right now because it's what I'm most technically skilled and comfortable with, plus you get to work from home a lot of times with the whole digital thing going on now.

cinematography.com is a forum where I find most people know their stuff, and they have editing/audio/directing sections, so I usually go there for help.

A debilitating depression would not work for a moviemaker. It's a LOT of hard work... especially if you're producing your own films, starting out and don't have a resume... you have to take care of city permits, actors releases, finding a crew you can count on, etc. etc. etc. ... I don't see anyone in a very deep depression taking on such large projects.

Editing is the essence of art, so your experience now with this will serve you well.

Yesterday you were 20. How did you, today, become 19, and where can I get some?

 

[zoobyshoe]

is an infestation of 19 year-old proto-filmmakers at least a little less unbearable?

There's an infestation? How many of you are there?

 

[zoobyshoe]

A guy is used to date is now a somewhat successful artist with art galleries exclusive to him in Connecticut and I forget where else. He didn't show up one night for our date, thenm called me two years later asking if I was ready to be picked up. He was joking, of course, he confessed to being bi-polar and having serious issues buit was under medication and felt he could handle a relationship again. He was gorgeous, rich and talented and my youngest daughter talked me out of seeing him again. She said I had an obligation to another guy I was kind of dating at the time, which died shorty there after.

Two years later! That's funny. Bi-polar people are really weird to date, or just even be friends with. You never know what's coming.

 

[moe darklight]

Editing is the essence of art, so your experience now with this will serve you well.

Yesterday you were 20. How did you, today, become 19, and where can I get some?

my birthday is in 5 days... for the past month I've fluctuating between thinking of myself as 19 and thinking of myself as 20... it's really hard. I don't know why... just the number "20" sounds so... definite and scary ... "20" ... I've been easing myself into it.

and yea, it definitely will. I never thought I would fall in love with editing like I did. I remember watching the oscars as a kid and always wondering "'best editor?' who cares about editing?" ... but it's amazing how you can completely change a movie's tone with the editing. It's an art all to itself. And I'm learning a lot about what to keep in mind for later when I start filming more... like what to do and what not to do to makes sure the editing goes smoothly.

 

[moe darklight]

A guy is used to date is now a somewhat successful artist with art galleries exclusive to him in Connecticut and I forget where else. He didn't show up one night for our date, then called me two years later asking if I was ready to be picked up. He was joking, of course, he confessed to being bi-polar and having serious issues but was under medication and felt he could handle a relationship again. He was gorgeous, rich and talented and my youngest daughter talked me out of seeing him again. She said I had an obligation to another guy I was kind of dating at the time, which died shorty there after.

you have an interesting story for every situation.

Artists like that are what make the stereotype so popular, because they do exist... nobody would notice a bipolar accountant or lawyer (other than their bosses who would get them fired), but society has a fetish with the "mad genius" idea.

 

[Evo]

you have an interesting story for every situation.

Many people have told me I need to write a book about my life, it's a series of bizarre events. KKK bombings, sniper attacks, witnessing a murder, and military substandard housing catastrophes that would make you blow cheese out of your nose. Oh, and being "escorted" out of the Imperial Palace in Bangkok by a group of soldiers with machine guns pointed at us. I still don't know what that was about, we were told not to ask, just drop it.

 

[moe darklight]

Many people have told me I need to write a book about my life, it's a series of bizarre events. KKK bombings, sniper attacks, witnessing a murder, and military substandard housing catastrophes that you make you blow cheese out of your nose.

wow! and I didn't even know about those! you should; I'd read that book... although... my completely unbiased opinion is that you should give the rights to your life story to an aspiring young filmmaker, eh ... no? ... ok... just a thought (o, she'll think it over. who'd refuse that once-in-a-lifetime offer)

 

[EnumaElish]

This is the way it is for working artists: you can't just drop things if you're not in the mood. You have to push yourself through distractions and keep the work going.

Point well taken, zoob; if Michelangelo is an example for a working artist who makes a good living out of his art, at the other extreme you have artists like Van Gogh who were never seriously in it for the money -- or else, disappointed at their misfortune, which I am sure did not help with the depression. Could VVG stop working if he did not feel like it? Could he cut off an ear on a "whim"?

 

[EnumaElish]

Many people have told me I need to write a book about my life, it's a series of bizarre events. KKK bombings, sniper attacks, witnessing a murder, and military substandard housing catastrophes that would make you blow cheese out of your nose.

Can I have a signed copy?

 

[EnumaElish]

Oh, and being "escorted" out of the Imperial Palace in Bangkok by a group of soldiers with machine guns pointed at us. I still don't know what that was about, we were told not to ask, just drop it.

Oh, you and your wild groupies!

 

[hypnagogue]

There is a meme to the effect that mentally ill people are also very creative. People still believe the old saying "There is a fine line between genius and madness". It is clear that some people romanticize mental illness as the gateway to genius.

It's a meme that should be killed because, in fact, most mentally ill people lead terrible, painful, unproductive lives.

There is scientific evidence that bipolar disorder is associated with creativity (e.g. 1, 2, 3). According to at least one abstract, this same pattern emerges even when considering people whose profession involves art: "Analysing psychopathology and creativity among various professions, higher rates of psychopathology, especially affective symptoms, have been found in art-related professions." (link) So it's not just an urban legend, and the idea shouldn't be killed off just because some people misunderstand it e.g. by thinking that the door to creativity is mental illness.

 

[Evo]

wow! and I didn't even know about those! you should; I'd read that book... although... my completely unbiased opinion is that you should give the rights to your life story to an aspiring young filmmaker, eh ... no? ... ok... just a thought (o, she'll think it over. who'd refuse that once-in-a-lifetime offer)

My people will talk to your people.

I need someone that can turn my experiences into a book. People have told me that even a 900 number to listen to my love life horrors would be worth $1.99 a minute.

I dated the vice president of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) after Tom Hayden. We worked together at Pacifica radio, where I sat next to Arlo Guthrie on the PBS documentary "The Great American Dream Machine" about the KKK bombing of our tower.

 

[rewebster]

My people will talk to your people.

I need someone that can turn my experiences into a book. People have told me that even a 900 number to listen to my love life horrors would be worth $1.99 a minute.

I dated the vice president of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) after Tom Hayden. We worked together at Pacifica radio, where I sat next to Arlo Guthrie on the PBS documentary "The Great American Dream Machine" about the KKK bombing of our tower.

and we get it for free

(we haven't heard any more, so---OK---go ahead and post the 900 number--and $1.99 is probably just the 'teaser' price, too)

 

[hypnagogue]

Can depression or mentall illness affect the way a child ties their shoe? Yes. Can it affect the way they eat? Yes. Can it affect the way they speak? Yes. Can it affect the way they do homework? Yes. Can it affect the way they interact with others? Yes. Can it affect the way they draw? Yes.

Yes, mental illness has a pervasive impact on just about everything a person does. The unique thing in the case of art though is that in at least some non-significant fraction of cases the link between the two might be positive, rather than neutral or negative.

There is evidence suggesting that art therapy helps alleviate symptoms of depression (e.g. 1, 2,
3). So it's possible that for some, being in a depressed state creates motivation to create art. And it should be uncontroversial that motivation boosts the quality and quantity of one's work.

Another interesting possibility is that the relationship between creativity and mood/temperament is not direct but mediated by a third factor. For instance this study suggests that depression and creativity are both elevated by the psychological process of rumination.

 

[zoobyshoe]

:I've ... but it's amazing how you can completely change a movie's tone with the editing. It's an art all to itself. And I'm learning a lot about what to keep in mind for later when I start filming more... like what to do and what not to do to makes sure the editing goes smoothly.

I read this book shortly after it first came out:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0306802724/?tag=pfamazon01-20

and it was a real eye opener about how import editing is. A good editor can take a bunch of random footage from vastly different sources and cut it together into an amazing film. The success or failure of a movie can be 80% due to the editing.