September 14, 2009

Must Creativity Equal Instability?

Last week, in creative writing class, we were shown a clip of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love." She was speaking about creativity, and the cost of being a creative individual. She also talked about the fact that many creative individuals suffer from one (or more) forms of depression, mental illness, or drug abuse. This got me thinking. As I am creative individual myself, I wondered: is it possible to BE creative and maintain ones stability simultaneously?

The clip below is a tribute to singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. I wanted to use him as my first example, and provide some background music that I love for this entry. Every time I listen to Woods' music, I am almost moved to tears. His skills as a guitarist and his incredible lyrics define--at least to me--what a creative individual is. That being said, I find it tragic, yet understandable, that his life ended with a suicide at age 34.



When I think of creative individuals who were destroyed by their genius, I immediately think of musicians. Some of the worlds most gifted young stars, such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain, were deeply depressed. While this unhappiness created some of the greatest music of their respective time periods, it also led them further away from happiness. Sadly, each of these creative individuals turned to drugs, and eventually took their own lives.

One can also look towards the movie industry, as there are similar examples. I remember--as silly as some people might find this--feeling a personal sense of loss when actor Heath Ledger died. Not because I mourned the loss of an attractive male, but because I truly believed he was a supremely talented individual. He became immersed in the character of the joker in "The Dark Night." Ledger medicated himself to cope with the character he created for the movie, yet could not shut off "the thoughts of the joker" in his mind. While the example of Ledger was not a suicide, but an accidental overdose, it was equally as tragic. As was the death of actor River Phoenix, who played Chris in the 1986 blockbuster "Stand By Me." Phoenix--just like Smith, Hendrix, and Cobain--turned to drugs. His body couldn't keep up, and his heart failed outside the Viper Room nightclub.

I also looked further into the past to find more examples of troubled creativity. My favourite artist--Vincent Van Gogh--cut off his own ear before taking his own life in 1890. During his life, Van Gogh sold only one painting, and faced constant financial strains. He also lived in and out of mental institutions, and led a highly emotional life. Poetry, prose, and script writer Dylan Thomas is another example. He suffered from mental breakdowns and serious alcoholism, both of with were a result of his fear of losing inspiration. Thomas collapsed in 1953, at age 39, and passed away four days later.

After considering each of the above examples, I began to wonder if there was any hope for me as a creative individual at all. I spent an evening making a list of those who have struggled and prevailed, to try to find some answers. Right at the top of my list was one of my favorite bands, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Scar Tissue," the autobiography written by front man, Anthony Kiedis, is one of my favorite books, and it tells a story of creative individuals who struggled, and eventually prevailed. Kiedis, along with band mates John Frusciante and Flea, faced years of drug addiction. Frusciante spent time in rehab, and at one point actually had to leave the band in order to recover. Despite their struggles, the members of the Chili Peppers managed to pull themselves together. They are still making music to this day, and plans are underway for another CD after a two year hiatus.

After writing down and organizing all of the above information, I realized that it is possible for a creative individual to struggle with the "dark side" of their craft, and prevail. True, some of us will sink deeper than others, and some will need assistance to be reunited with the positive side of life. The Chili Peppers are only one example of creative individuals who struggled, and overcame, yet there are so many more. It IS possible to be a creative individual and maintain a hold on reality at the same time, but it is difficult. The key to success, (in my opinion) is being aware of the negative signs of an internal struggle before they begin to expand and manifest themselves. That was--for many of the above mentioned individuals--how the downfall began. I truly believe that somewhere, sometime, somehow, we will all have the opportunity to unleash our creative energy upon the world. We just have to be aware of how to pick ourselves up again if we fall.

I will end this entry with one more Elliott Smith video. This one is an actual music video, and the song, "Miss Misery," was featured on the "Good Will Hunting" movie soundtrack. Enjoy!

16 comments:

  1. What an interesting post! Well done.

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  2. I agree! Well done, however as a diehard Jim Morrison fan, he also was well worth a mention!and still missed! Reality can be a bitter pill, when your already under there is no perspective, Sad but True.

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  3. Van Gogh is my favourite artist as well. :) I was also really sad when Heath Ledger passed away, the world lost a talented person that day, and it was a sad loss of potential as well. :(

    I think the reason many artists are "tortured souls" is because there's some sort of beauty in depression, the tragic, the dark side of life. And sometimes it's hard to feel inspiration when you are really happy, but when you're hurting, there seems to be a whole host of things to write/paint/sing about.

    Great post!

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  4. Great stuff!

    I love Elliot Smith and it was quite sad when he passed.

    I think the death of Heath Ledger attributed to his greatness, if that doesn't sound completely insensitive. The fact that he was so committed to his character that he actually let The Joker manifest himself in his mind, shows how serious he took his roles. I mean method acting is one thing but having thoughts involuntarily come to you that aren’t even yours? Ack!

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  5. DJH said...

    I ask Harriet, is Jim Morrison still alive and living covertly in Paris?

    Very well done and an interesting read.

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  6. This was a very poignant article for me. Someone close to me is an extremely talented and creative individual and suffers from a mental illness, and the possibility of this person's suicide is everpresent in the back of my mind. I have to disagree with Jennifer's comment "sometimes it's hard to feel inspiration when you are really happy, but when you're hurting, there seems to be a whole host of things to write/paint/sing about". I've seen first hand how creativity can dry up when an individual is in 'that dark place'. And "beauty in depression"? If you've ever been close to someone in the throes of deep depression, you would not make that comment. There is nothing beautiful in hearing someone (that you deeply you care about) tell you that they have a suicide plan for when things get to be too much to handle. To me, Jennifer's comment romantisizes depression.

    Very good article, Amanda - thought provoking and relevant.

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  7. You might be interested in this slide show of Van Gogh's work set to "Vincent," Don McLean's song about his struggle with depression.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipFMJckZOM

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  8. SIH: I've been depressed, and I don't want to get too deeply into my own story, but in the past, I have been in a very dark place. I don't think I am romanticizing depression in the least, but in my own experience, I got a lot written when things weren't going so great. And that is what I mean by beauty in depression, at least in my own depression, the creative output I had was the ONLY beautiful thing to come out of it. So yes, I have been close to someone who has that plan, and I have been that person myself. I just understand why some artists use their unhappiness to create beautiful work, and that sometimes it can be really tough, (at least personally) to get the creative juices flowing when things are going well.

    I hope I'm not offending anyone, and the thought that anyone would think that I'm romanticizing depression when I suffered from it for years is a thought that upsets me greatly. I hope my thoughts have been clarified a bit. :)

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  9. In response to Anonymous: My answer is No!!
    "No One Here Gets Out Alive"
    P.S. I have to say the comments are as interesting as the Blog!

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  10. Hi Jennifer - I am not offended by comments in this or any other blog - by you or an other person - isn't starting a conversation (even an adversarial one) a good thing (about blogs)? I am happy to hear that you were able to be creative when in a depressed state. I just don't understand how the words beauty and depression can be used together - that is what I meant by romanticizing. And because my words upset you greatly, I apologize for causign you more pain.

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  11. I really appreciate SIH's comments and I envy Jennifer her positive experience with deep depression. As another who suffers from mental illness, bipolar disorder and PTSD, who also is an artist, who has been in that darkest of places where nothing feels worth living for & who has attempted suicide, I find it hard to identify with Jennifer's experiences. Perhaps it's because I do have bipolar that my experience differs from yours? I live in a town where artists abound and know none personally who have been able to be creative when horribly depressed. I feel no animosity towards you or your comments, only wish you well in your creative endeavors and empathize with your having been in that dark, dark place.

    Amanda, excellent blog. I check your page every day to see what might be new. I find it very interesting to read the dialog your blog inspires.

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  12. I agree with what Anonymous posted on 17/9/09 - excellent blog!

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  13. Anonymous: I didn't have Bipolar, but Depression and anxiety. I always found comfort in writing, so it was one of the few things that helped at the time. I guess I was able to write, even when horribly depressed because it was almost like a crutch. Anonymous, I hope you are doing okay, because I empathize with you as well, and wish you happiness in life, and everything you do. :)

    It's not fun being so depressed and suicidal, and I wouldn't trade what I have now for the level of creativity I had then. Because, while what I wrote at the time was often beautiful, it just wasn't worth all the hurt. I'm trying to learn how to recreate that level of creativity while in the good state that I am now in. It takes trial and error, and work, but I am definitely okay with doing both. :)

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  14. Wow, thanks for the comments everyone. I love that my blog inspires people to talk about how they feel! And Jen, you are such an awesome person, and I love having had the opportunity to get to know you thus far. I think that what happens in an individuals past makes them who they are today. I was in the same position a number of years ago, and one of the things that gave me comfort was listening to Elliott Smith's music (and that is why I wrote this blog). Sometimes inspiration finds us when we least expect it, and it isn't always at the best time.

    I bet what you write now is brilliant too!

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  15. Aww, thanks Amanda, I'm loving the opportunity to get to know you as well. :) I do like what I write now, it's different from what I did back then, and I know I've grown as a writer over time, as everyone does. The creative experience and process is just very...different now. :)

    I have enjoyed the discussion through the comments here, and reading everyone's insights, and of course, reading Amanda's posts. :)

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  16. As well as a full hand of thoughts about creativity and what it does to the artist, I'm walking away from your very well written post with a new appreciation for Elliott Smith. Thank you for introducing a talent artist to me.

    I've always thought of Heath Ledger's death as a tragic example of the power of a character as well.

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