A Look Into the Mental Health of Creatives and Artists
4-minute read time
There's a paradox within the creative arts: artistic expression appears to be both beneficial and harmful for mental health. What's going on here?
Though neuroscience shows that creating art helps with issues like trauma, grief, and depression, professional artists often have higher rates of bipolar disorder, suicidality, and substance abuse.
So, if creating art is supposedly healthy then why do artists struggle more? We'll explore this contradiction and share tips for how creatives can manage their mental health.
I want to validate that creativity takes many forms. Although we are speaking to artists here, much applies to less-artistic creativity like business or academia.
We’ll cover:
The Struggling Artist: Truth or Myth?
This is a controversial topic. There are plenty of stereotypes about artists being sensitive, 'crazy,' or having any number of quirks. It's important not to perpetuate these stereotypes, while also acknowledging the underlying truths.
Domains are our vehicles of expression, like writing or dance. We can't generalize the mental health of all domains. Yet there are trends, such as high rates of Bipolar Disorder in poets and painters (1), or the staggeringly low life expectancy of professional musicians (2).
Remember that these mental health statistics don't apply to everyone, and the data is sparse. But they indicate that creatives do have a unique experience with mental health.
Who is creative?
Are artists and creatives the same thing? The short answer is no. Though both bring new things into the world, artists tend to be guided by internal value, what feels right to them in their expression.
Other creatives are more about external value. Marketing is a classic example, marketers create for what the clients want, not what they themselves want.
Top Reasons Why Artists Struggle With Mental Health
Lack of Relevant Mental-Health Resources
Therapists often take special trainings to work with different populations to better understand their needs. Yet, in my experience, these trainings don’t exist for helping creatives or artists.
Additionally, artists can be resistant towards seeking professional help, and who can blame them when the profession is uninformed about how to handle their particular needs. Art Therapy is for the general population, and isn't a clinical approach based on the actual needs of artists.
At Wellspring Connection, we provide specialized therapy for creatives and artists.
Loneliness
Loneliness can be dangerous and amplify existing mental health issues. Artists are often on the outskirts of society and even can be misunderstood by family and friends. And the ambitious ones who strive for success often experience repeated rejection and failure.
Though the arts are vital to our culture, pursuing an artistic career is also considered impractical. What a paradox!
Many who dream of an artistic career become black sheep in our society. This type of negative feedback can fuel harmful self-beliefs like “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 to heal their own mental health issues. Which brings us back to Art Therapy. Maybe artists are onto something, intuitively seeking out the healing benefits of the arts on their own.
Our implicit ability for storytelling goes way back. Our creativity may be a tool we learned to help manage the chaos of the human experience. 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.
Tips for creatives
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.
Ready to start with creative-focused therapy? Contact us
Jamison, Kay. Touched With Fire: Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperment. Free Press. 1993