By Ilana Stanger, Guest Writer

Are artists really, well, crazier than regular folks?

Judging by my artistic friends, yes. Judging by the number of famous mentally ill artists — it'd be easy enough to conclude so. The theory of the "mad genius" has roots at least as far back as ancient Greece, where Socrates dismissed any poet "untouched by the madness of the muses." Such poets, Socrates warned, are doomed to find their "sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the inspired madman." Since then the stereotype of the crazy artist has endured, and, with psychology's emergence as a science in the late nineteenth century, scientists have taken to studying the somewhat elusive connection between artistic genius and mental illness. As the eminent and early psychiatrist William James noted, "When a superior intellect and a psychopathic temperament coalesce we have the best possible condition for the kind of effective genius that gets into the biographical dictionaries."

In 1992 Dr. Arnold M. Ludwig, a psychiatrist at the University of Kentucky Medical Center, published an extensive biographical survey of 1,005 famous 20th-century artists and writers, comparing their mental health with those of individuals in other, more conventional, professionals. Ludwig discovered that artists and writers experienced two to three times the rate of psychosis, suicide attempts, mood disorders, and substance abuse than did comparably successful people in business, science, and public life. Ludwig went so far as to trace various types of mental illness to different creative professions: he found that if you're a poet you're more likely to suffer from mania and psychoses; a musician or actor, drug abuse; a composer, artist, or non-fiction writer, alcohol dependence. In Ludwig's analysis, those professions which rely on precision, reason, and logic have a much lower rate of mental illness than those that rely on emotive expression, personal experience, and vivid imagery as a source of inspiration.

In other words, it could always be worse--you could be a poet.

Another (desperate sigh) interesting study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry in 1994, surveyed the mental state of fifteen Abstract Expressionist Artists of the New York School--including Jackson Pollock, whose infamous instability is currently bringing in the bucks on the big screen. The study found that over 50% of the 15 artists included in the group suffered from some form of psychopathology, most often mood disorders and morbidness compounded with alcoholism. Often the consequences of these illnesses were fatal: of the fifteen artists, two were suicides, two died in single-vehicle accidents considered to be "suicide equivalents," and two had fathers who killed themselves. In total, seven of the fifteen were dead before the age of sixty.

Why might artists suffer more from mental illness? Dr. Sidney Melanger, a Freudian psychiatrist in private practice in New York, offered one explanation. "People who are creative are much more in touch with their unconscious," he told me. "This increases their capacity for creativity, because they can tap the uncharted waters within them. As a result of this they can think in crazier ways, which means more creative ways." As Dr. Oliver Sacks (you know him--the doctor Robin Williams played in "The Awakening,") put it, "Creativity involves the depth of a mind and many, many depths of unconsciousness."

Ok, so we've got the unconscious involved, which always means trouble. But there's more. According to Dr. Kay Jamison of Johns Hopkins University, herself a sufferer of manic-depressive disorder, hypomania, or mild mania, is "highly conducive to original thinking." The diagnostic criteria for hypomania includes "sharpened and unusually creative thinking and increased productivity," and some of the personality features associated with hypomania, especially expansive thought and grandiose moods, can lead to increased fluency and frequency of thoughts. In other words, people who experience hypomania may, for a time, experience greater productivity and creativity--both key characteristics for artists.

Other theories about the art-mental illness connection include the possibility of a genetic link between depression and creativity (remember the two children of suicides in the New York school?) and, ironically, the therapeutic effect of making art itself. Art Therapy is based on the idea that people who have difficulty expressing themselves through "normal" social interactions will benefit from expressing themselves through art. So, those drawn to art might be those who already have some emotional difficulty. Finally, a third theory considers the effect of artists' exposure to toxic materials. (Ala the old image of the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, and the subsequent research that found the mercury used in repairing hats was, indeed, making those hatters "mad.")

Are suffering and art inevitably linked? Carl Jung praised the artist as the one who "makes it possible for us to find our way back to the deepest springs of life." If that sounds like a big responsibility, it is. Jung's artist, forced to carry "the unconscious psychic life of mankind," might find himself with "so heavy a burden that he is fated to sacrifice happiness and everything that makes life worth living for the ordinary human being."

Yikes.

Ready to throw in the towel right now? Don't. Not every psychologist believes in the mental illness-creativity link. I spoke with Annie Hagert, a mental health counselor at the University of the Arts, who is unconvinced that there is more pathology among artists, but, at the same time, is absolutely convinced that the stereotype of the mad artist affects artists. "Artistic children often do not have as many venues to shine, and to gain self-esteem, as other children," she explained. "They see themselves as different, as an artist. The notion that craziness is an important aspect of being an artist, and that the craziness makes you a better artist, affects them."

This negative stereotype can, taken to an extreme, prevent mentally ill artists from seeking treatment for fear of losing their creative edge. For a frightening example of this we can look to the expressionist artist Edvard Munch, who, when informed that certain treatments could replace the cycle of institutionalization he'd been undergoing, insisted that he be able to "keep those sufferings." Munch considered his emotional torments "part of me and my art," warning that, "they are indistinguishable from me, and it would destroy my art."

Hagert strives to combat that attitude among the young artists she sees. "I used to work on Capitol Hill," says Hagert, "And there is just as much craziness there as among art students. Artists see their work as a manifestation of themselves, which it is. But so can a lawyer's work be, or an accountant's. The notion that artists use their problems as fuel for their art, and therefore must have problems, is a story that both sides like to tell. And that's fine, as long as it doesn't hurt the artist."

Jamison also warns against the stereotype of the "mad genius," which trivializes a very serious disease and undermines individuality in the arts. "Most manic-depressives do not possess extraordinary imagination, and most accomplished artists do not suffer from recurring mood swings," she reminds us.

The upshot? Although many artists do relish their quirkiness, there's nothing romantic about suicide and substance addiction. Art is hard. It's hard to make a living. It's hard to believe in yourself. And it's hard to be judged by subjective criteria--especially when you feel it's your soul up on the canvas.

While it can be illuminating to consider the art-mental illness connection, it shouldn't be taken as prophesy. Hagert asks the students she sees, some of whom exhibit self-destructive behavior, "How can you be interesting and creative and tow the line? How can you be interesting and creative and not hurt yourself?"

Remember also that taking care of yourself is important not just for your health, but, despite Munch's claim, for your work. Dr. Melanger noted that someone who suffered too deeply from mental illness would not be able to produce art: "If you're truly insane you can't really be creative in a way that's communicative and that people can respond to." As Sylvia Plath put it, "When you are insane, you are busy being insane--all the time...When I was crazy, that's all I was."

Take care of yourself, work hard on your art, and stay sane. The rest will follow.

Career Self-Assessment and Setting Goals

By Susan Koblin Schear You are not alone! No matter which discipline you work in, you will find comfort in knowing that many artists face the same challenges. These include being able to define their vision, evaluate their career, and set and achieve goals. Your career can often challenge you in relation to where you are presently, where you want to go, and how you are going to get there. Many times you can be faced with juggling your career as an artist and supporting yourself through part- and full-time positions. Balancing day-to-day responsibilities, as well as personal and family needs, can also add frustration and challenge. The reasons for career self-assessment and goal setting are therefore not hard to find. It can be difficult to sincerely ask and answer questions about your career, but this is what you need to do as part of career self-assessment. You may not know the questions to ask, but it is important to identify them and answer them honestly. To do this, you need to be aware of your mission, your values, your vision, your motivations, and your goals. Your career needs to be developed and planned on a long-term basis: three to five years in advance is a common timeframe. For some, it is easy to think about the bigger picture and where they would like to be in five years; for others, it is more comfortable to be completely reality-based, and thinking five years into the future may be daunting. No matter; take some time and plan where you see your career in five or ten years. Roll it back to today. How can you make this future become a reality? The answer is through career self-assessment and goal setting. Start with your vision for the future. Where do you want to be in five years? In ten years? What do you want your career to look like? What will you be doing? Will you have altered your current discipline? Will you have moved, retired, purchased new equipment, or built a new space? Next, ask more detailed questions about where you are and where you want to be within a certain period of time. How are you going to get there? What resources, including time, money, people (creative and technical), and space will be required? Will you need to hire others to help you, perhaps those with complementary skill sets? Will you need to move your visual or performing space? Do you want to shift your focus from process to product? Will you need to alter the chemicals or processes that you are using because they are too dangerous or expensive? Is your studio space threatened because of commercial development? There is also value in looking back at your career to identify highlights that you’d like to repeat and low points that you’d like to prevent. What has worked for you in the past? Can it continue to work for you in the future? What does today’s environment offer to assist or challenge you in your journey? Your values are also quite important to self-assessment. It is your belief system, what you value, that allows you to develop as a person and as an artist. What are your beliefs? They are the things that are important to you in your life, the things you will not compromise on. Would you refuse a project if it compromises something you believe in? Would you not sign a contract because you believe the other party is unethical? Note them as you think about your career. They will help guide you in setting your goals. Once you have contemplated these types of questions, asked them of yourself, and developed honest answers, you can utilize goal setting to move along in your career to newly identified milestones. As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, a “goal” is “the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.” Goals need to be realistic, measurable, specific, and achievable within a specific timeframe. You may want to prioritize them if you’ve developed too many or if some seem too aggressive for the timeframe. “Sell my art,” “Get a gig,” “Find funding,” and “Perform in a show” are not examples of well-formulated goals. “Selling five pieces at Gallery X during the month of November” is an example of a well-written goal. It is realistic and specific, has a time frame, and can be measured. Setting goals will tremendously benefit you with your career path, direction, growth, and achievement of your vision. It is useful to do so at the start of each calendar year, planning and prioritizing at least three goals for every three months. Include goals that will balance your career and personal life. They could also be goals about a certain project or performance. After initially working to develop your goals on paper, evaluate them to make sure they are not too lofty and aggressive or too weak and demoralizing. If possible, spend time with a family member, friend, fellow artist, colleague, supporter, or someone whom you trust, and review the work that you have done. Then review your goals and progress every three months. Are you on track, ahead, or behind? What needs changing, adding, or deleting? What will you continue doing? While understanding that goals are a projection you desire to achieve within a specific timeframe (e.g., yearly, quarterly, or monthly) or for a specific project or program (e.g., a gallery opening, a performance, or raising money for marketing your literary works or production), it is quite possible that you may exceed your goals or not fully reach them. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the means to measure, assess, and evaluate the outcome: the reason that you achieved or did not achieve your goal. What constraints or outside factors positively or negatively impacted the final outcome? Over time, as you become more proficient in this process, you will notice that self-assessment and goal setting go hand-in-hand with your vision. Achieving your goals energizes you and motivates you to go onward, toward your vision, and, perhaps, to even to bigger things than you thought yourself capable. Congratulations! You are now ready to become accountable and begin the process toward career self-assessment, setting goals, and developing your vision. You have been provided with several opportunities to begin and work through the process: Determine if anything makes you uncomfortable with the process of career self-assessment and setting goals. Examine and carefully assemble the responses to the questions provided in this essay and others you feel are related to career assessment. Determine the reasons—purpose or mission—for your art and your career. Begin to answer the questions and develop your vision. What other internal and external factors impact your vision? Work closely on identifying your goals for the current calendar year and/or for a specific project, program, or performance. Based on the previous year and the upcoming calendar year, develop a list of targeted and specific points that you want to keep, delete, and add. Evaluate, measure, and assess the entire process on a continuing basis; determine the means that are most comfortable, realistic, informative, and yielding for you. Make the changes accordingly. Share with a peer group or someone whom you trust and feel comfortable with... and... Enjoy the process!

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14