Mental Illness: Inspiration of Artistry

“We of the craft are all crazy,” a statement made by the British poet Lord Byron, one of the most impactful romanticists in the 18th century (Danub). This describes his observation that poetry and mental illness are connected. His statement is further backed up by more famous creatives like Virginia Woolf, Vincent Van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Syd Barrett, Jackson Pollock, and Kurt Cobain - all geniuses in their respective fields, while dealing with mental illness in their lives. It is a common theme when you look at creative fields to see high rates of mental illness, especially depression or bipolar disorder. In some forms of art it is even a direct inspiration, for example emo and forms of rock music with lyrics filled with suicidal references and dark, depressive thoughts. Some could say this is just part of the scene, but the high prevalence of musical artists with actual issues, sometimes leading to their own tragic death while loved by millions of fans, proves there is a connection. Bipolar disorder also helps break boundaries in the arts. Syd Barrett created some of the most groundbreaking psychedelic rock while experiencing a declining mental state due to bipolar disorder. Brian Wilson, revolutionary producer for the Beach Boys also made groundbreaking music while falling deeper into mental illness. This shows there is a direct link between creativity in the arts and struggles with mental illness.

Many studies have been created to study the connection between mental illness and creativity. These statistics show strong correlation. According to research done at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, writers have a high risk of many disorders including anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and substance abuse (Roberts). They are also found to have rates of suicide twice of the general population (Roberts). This is not restricted to writers, similar data is also seen in the music industry. The infamous “27 Club” is a group of musical artists that died at 27, meaning it is statistically you are likely to die earlier. This popular phrase is backed up by real data. Sydney University researchers found musicians are likely to die 25 years younger than a non-musician (Harrison). This data was based on a wide data set, 12,655 artists between 1950 and 2014. Their suicide rates also showed stark contrast to non-musicians. Musicians suicide rates were two to seven times higher than the average population (Harrison). This data proves not only is mental illness more common in creatives, but it also shows that it can lead to death.

Despite strong statistical evidence and analysis by many in the psychiatric field towards the connection between creativity and mental illness, there is some opposition to the argument. According to Albert Rothenberg, a psychiatrist who studied the creative processes in the brain, states that the historical analysis of those involved in the arts is flawed. It is impossible to find an accurate psychiatric diagnosis due to the fact that it is based on gossip and hearsay, rather than clinical evidence (Rothenberg). This results in a false belief in the mental illness seen in many historical creatives, such as Van Gogh and Woolf. He also believes that many symptoms of mental illness would hinder the creative process, such as obsessions, delusions, depression, and personality disorders (Rothenberg). These symptoms would not inspire an artist, but rather destroy their ability to create. Finally, he talks of Picasso, who did not find their creative genius during dark times of drinking and suffering from anxiety, but rather found them in times of good mental health (Rothenberg). This provides a viable counterargument to the idea that mental illness inspires art, but fails to refute the idea that creatives suffering from mental illness is not connected.

The theory that mental illness and creativity are connected has been a long and arduous journey for those in the field of psychiatry. According to Dean Keith Simonton, “the prevailing view appears to be that psychopathology and creativity are positively associated,” with psychopathology being another word for a mental disorder (Simonton). He follows this claim up with important statistics. First of all, creatives have twice the chance at having a mental disorder compared to non-creatives (Simonton). He also states that the more famous the creator, the greater the risk for more severe symptoms of mental disorder (Simonton). This data is evidence to the fact that creatives have a higher risk of mental disorders. It also brings up an important discussion upon the connection between mental disorders and creativity. For many involved in the arts, the more creative and brilliant you are, the greater your prominence in your field. They are the most famous for their groundbreaking or influential work. This data states that this is connected to the severity of the symptoms. This provides a direct connection between creativity and severity of mental problems, and combined with the data on the higher frequency of mental illness in creatives this rounds out the argument. Another point of data brought up is, “it remains the case that there may be a common genetic component to both creativity and psychopathology,” meaning the same genes that make oneself more creative, could make oneself more likely to have a mental disorder (Simonton). This is also further backed up by the fact that, “evidence suggests that creativity and mental illness run in the same family lines,” again proving the genetic connection between creativity and mental disorders (Simonton). Using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, a positive correlation between psychoticism and creativity was found (Simonton). This data is important in painting the connection between creativity and mental disorders, however it does not explain why mental disorders may foster creativity in individuals.

The topic of mental illness being a direct root of creativity has also been researched using many psychiatric methods. The method of how creative genius can strike is described as, “A creative person experiences the order and structure that others find comforting as inhibiting and even suffocating. For this reason, he feels the need to confront norms and conventions,” this displays that creatives think in a different mindset than non-creatives, possibly derived from a mental disorder (Burton). The causes of how mental disorders result in increased creative ability were also described by Simonton, “elevated scores on psychoticism are associated with the capacity for defocused attention...thereby enabling ideas to enter the mind that would normally be filtered out during information processing. This less restrictive mode of information processing is also associated with openness to experience, a cognitive inclination that is positively associated with creativity,” (Simonton). This provides a specific cause of creativity in a common symptom of mental disorders. Defocused attention is very frequently found in those diagnosed with mental disorders, especially those diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, both specifically dealing with attention problems. A real world example of a creative being inspired by an attention-deficit disorder is the British musician Loyle Carner, “These conditions can be turned to an advantage; to see the world more creatively. It’s this form of poetry that lies at the bedrock of Carner’s work, which is as creative as it is empathetic, heartbreaking, ruthless and, at times, funny,” (Bassil). Loyle Carner took a disorder which troubled him growing up and in school, and applied it to art to create acclaimed music, his ADHD was not a hindrance to his art, but rather was his power and source of creative energy. This is not the only example of a musician using a mental disorder as a direct inspiration for art. Another example of mental disorder directly inspiring an artist is a part of Kanye West’s most recent album, Ye, it contains a lyric relating to bipolar disorder. On the song “Yikes”, Kanye West raps, “that’s my bipolar shit...that’s my superpower...ain’t no disability...I’m a superhero!” (West). Two years prior to the recording of this album, Kanye West was hospitalized due to a psychotic episode while on tour. This album was his first release since that hospitalization. West took his disorder and used it to find strength in recording a new album, it had so great an impact that he included it on lyrics in the project. The cases of these two artists both finding inspiration for their art in two different mental disorders is a real example of mental illness inspiring artists to create. Historically bipolar disorder has affected the work of other important musicians such as Kurt Cobain, Syd Barrett, and Brian Wilson. All three of these artists’ careers were cut short due to complications from the illness, however while they were able to manage their disorders they released incredibly impactful music, possibly aided by their disorders. However they were unable to find the proper support system needed to get them through the worst of their disorders. Kurt Cobain committed suicide, and both Brian Wilson and Syd Barrett were unable to produce on the same professional level as they had before suffering more severe effects from their disorders.

Data from multiple researchers and sources have proven there is certainly correlation between symptoms of mental disorders and creativity. There are also many real life artists that are creating hits for radio that are played across the world every day that suffer with mental disorders, and there have been many in a similar situation throughout history. It isn’t just musicians either; artists like Picasso and Van Gogh both had disorders, and there are many examples of writers who suffered like Woolf and Hemingway. Despite many examples pointing towards mental illness in creatives, there are also many examples of those who do not suffer (Simonton). Artists can be mentally healthy, and still be creative. With a better understanding of mental health, creativity, and its connection to fame, better support systems are available to help ailing artists struggling with the many burdens faced in the music industry. Mental illness does have a strong connection to creativity, there is correlation and many symptoms aid in the creative process, but mental health should always come first for artists, and for that reason more needs to be done to understand it and better react to it as consumers of the art.

Mental disorders can be an important part in driving them forward creatively, however there is a dark side. Today more than ever, artists are thrown into the spotlight, especially if they suffer from mental illness. Sensationalist media, obsessive fans, and social media have made what was mostly a private situation, into a mess which in the end is damaging to artists. The problem for many artists is that their scenes are already difficult to deal with. There is immense pressure as a creative to keep up output, create unique work, and make a living. This is true across all fields, writing, art, and music. Many first starting out in the fields are antagonized for entering such a difficult field, and once you have “made it”, it does not get any better. Australian musician Jess Cornelius said of the music industry, “All artists put stuff out there to be judged, but the music industry is particularly challenging because you’re not just being evaluated on your music – it’s what scene you’re in, what you look like and what label you’re on. You then look critically at yourself, in the way that you think you’ll be viewed. It’s very destructive” (Valentish). For artists in an already difficult field, the idea that their profession is likely to die 25 years earlier than non-artists, and the fact that the more famous you are, the more likely you are struggle with mental illness, it is not encouraging to be a creative (Harrison) (Simonton). In the case of artists being unable to handle the immense stress and danger their profession presents to them, we see a media and general population that is eager to watch as an artist’s health and wellbeing is threatened. Amy Winehouse is a prime example of the way a young, yet widely regarded as an impressive creative, can fray under the immense pressure of their field. She was a victim of alcohol poisoning at 27, another example of a tragic death of an artist at a young age. More recently, singer Demi Lovato faced a media storm after she was hospitalized due to substance abuse. This caused journalists and reporters to camp outside the hospital she was staying at and also her private home (Hunt). Sensationalist media took Lovato at a low point in her life, where she needs privacy and time away from the public to recover, and used it to write catchy headlines. Lovato had been, “open about how she’d had to manage her bipolar disorder, drug addiction and self harming as a coping mechanism,” (Hunt). Yet the media took her relapse to be a nosedive from health. This displays a major problem in how artists with mental disorders are treated. They need outlets to share their troubles in healthy ways, but they also need privacy in dark times of their life such as this. Substance abuse disorders are just as dangerous and common as disorders like anxiety or depression, and artists are at similar risks to them, “depression seems to be the most common symptom, along with the correlates of alcoholism and suicide,” in regards to the most common disorders faced by creatives. The rates of death by suicide or drug abuse by creatives is immensely high. Symptoms of mental disorders like mania and euphoria also contain dark lows that artists struggle to face, both parts of this tumultuous lifestyle can be an inspiration for their work, but it also means they must face these times with strength, strength that may be sapped by the difficult lifestyle of an artist (Burton). Constant touring, constant work, and constant pressures by their managers or their fans drains artists both physically and mentally. In conclusion, the connection between creativity and mental disorders leads to some of the most creative and influential works of art we’ve seen, however there is a harsh side of this creation when these artists must face the darker side of their disorder. Behind the euphoria and brilliant moments are dark moments possibly shared with a liquor bottle or bottle of pills.

The complexity of the brain makes studying a topic like this difficult. Especially making connections between two distinct parts of our brain, mental disorders and creativity. The study of the brain has led to important work in the field of science, and recently work on mental disorders has exponentially grown, allowing us to better understand, treat, and prevent disorders faced by many in today’s world. Throughout the history of art, we have seen artists face mental disorders, and even embrace it. The quote of an 18th century poet has an uncanny similarity to a Kanye West lyric, “Name one genius that ain’t crazy.” Both quotes talk of creative genius as if it is a result of insanity. These quotes are backed up by numerous psychiatric studies which analyzed thousands of artists across hundreds of years. Consistently through this research we see a correlation between mental disorders and creativity. In a description of the creative process artists, “discard the certitudes of black and white definition and escape into a richer and more nuanced ‘borderless grey’,” descriptions of disorders like depression sound familiar to this “borderless grey” (Burton). Mental disorders give artists the setting in their brain to seek new ideas, new thoughts that break boundaries. The negative effects of these disorders can be difficult to traverse through, can even lead to tragedy in the case of some, but the work that comes as a result of these disorders drives art and culture as a whole forward. Mental health of artists will always be the number one priority when dealing with this topic, but an increased understanding of this connection will make society better as a whole.

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Ye. Performance by Kanye West, GOOD Music, Def Jam Recordings, 2018.