There's a paradox within the creative arts. Artistic expression appears to be both beneficial and harmful for mental health.

For example Music Therapy benefits mental health, yet a recent study (1) also found a staggering 73% of musicians struggle with mental health issues. Though neuroscience shows the benefits of creating art, actual artists often have higher than average rates of bipolar disorder, suicidality, and substance abuse.

So, why do artists struggle more if creating art is supposedly healthy? Let's explore these contradictions with tips for how artists can better manage their mental health. By artist we mean any form of artistic expression: writing, computer programming, film-making, songwriting, etc.

We’ll cover:

• Do artists really struggle more?

• The top mental health challenges artists face

• What's the difference between artists and creatives?

• How artists and creatives can manage their mental health

• Resources for artists and creatives

  
  

The Struggling Artist: Truth or Myth?

This is a controversial topic. There is no shortage of stereotypes about artists being sensitive, tragic, crazy, or having any number of peculiar quirks. It's important not to perpetuate the ignorance of these stereotypes, while also acknowledging the underlying truths.

We don’t have statistics for artistic expression as a whole, there are just too many art forms out there. But high rates of struggle for poets and painters have been documented (2).

Remember that mental health statistics are just that, statistics. They don't apply to everyone in that population. But artists tend to have qualities like creativity, sensitivity, and ambition, and all of these traits can make coping with mental health more challenging.

Top Reasons Why Artists Struggle With Mental Health

• Lack of Tailored Mental-Health Resources

  
  

Therapists often take special trainings to better work with different populations. For example, professionals can learn the unique needs of the kink community or Indigenous populations. Yet, in my experience, these trainings don’t exist for helping creatives or artists.

Artists are at higher risk for substance use and Bipolar disorders. Many artists are resistant towards seeking professional help, and who can blame them - therapists are largely uninformed about how to handle their particular needs.

There is Art Therapy, where artistic expression is used as a form of healing. But it's used for the general population, not for actual artists. Imagine telling a professional painter that they need to paint more to feel better!

• Loneliness

  
  

Loneliness can be dangerous and amplify existing mental health issues. Artists are often on the outskirts of society and even misunderstood by family and friends. And those who strive for artistic success often experience repeated rejection and failure.

Though the arts are important in our culture, pursuing an artistic career is also considered impractical. Many who dream of an artistic career become black sheep in our society. This type of negative feedback can fuel harmful self-beliefs, making us feel “there’s something wrong with me” or “I’m not good enough.”

• Predisposition To Mental Struggle

  
  

We’ve seen that artists have higher rates of mental health issues, what if these issues are the reason people become artists? 

There’s a theory that people seek out the arts because they’re experiencing mental health issues and need to find relief via expression. Which brings us back to Art Therapy. Maybe artists are onto something, intuitively seeking out the healing benefits of the arts on their own.

Human storytelling has been around forever, and our creativity may be a tool we evolved to help manage internal chaos. Consider trauma, which leaves us with a shattered view of ourselves. Rewriting the trauma story is key to recovery. Through artistic expression we can safely rewrite our stories.

More on trauma therapy options

Tips for Creators

First of all, are artists and creatives the same thing? The short answer is no. Though both bring new things into the world, artists are drawn to artistic expression, which is not necessarily the creative's intention. 

What artists and creatives have in common is the process of creation. We’ll refer to both these groups as creators.

Here are tips creators can use to manage mental health and improve the creative experience:

• Practice non-attachment

  
  

Creators often get too attached to their ideas, and can obsess about getting them perfect. Instead, practice radical non-attachment. You are planting creative seeds and will need to see which ones germinate. Projects often fail to come out as expected, but just because one idea fails to grow does not prevent it from informing future work. Mindfulness practices can be helpful for this.

• Determine Your Purpose

  
  

The creative process often works best with openness and spontaneity. However, your purpose should be more stable. Your purpose is the larger reason for why you create, it anchors you in the unpredictable seas of creativity.

Your purpose can be anything, such as becoming financially successful in graphic design, or carrying on a woodworking tradition your grandpa taught you. Your purpose should be defined by you and not by outside expectations.

• Stay Social

  
  

Isolation for creators is a razor's edge. It can give us space to nurture the creative process, but can also harm us. Socialization is an essential human need, like a vitamin for your body. It doesn’t matter what it even looks like, it could be as simple as journaling at a cafe to just be around other people.

Ways that Creators can Find Support

Although therapists aren’t typically trained to work with artists, with a little extra effort you can find a therapist who can help you. Here are some tips for finding a good therapy match.

If trauma is a concern, you may find EMDR Therapy to be helpful. If you struggle with shifts in mood or regulating your emotions you could benefit from DBT Therapy.

Interested in getting started with a Wellspring Connection therapist? Contact us.

1. https://the73percent.com/Record_Union-The_73_Percent_Report.pdf

2. Jamison, Kay. Touched With Fire: Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperment. Free Press. 1993