Writer: Naomi Chung
Editor: Mia McDonald Rose
Artist: Naomi Chung
The myth of the ‘tormented artist’, where does it really come from?
The Romantic composer Franz Liszt said, “Mournful and grand is the destiny of an artist.” Van Gogh’s ‘Self Portrait with a Bandaged Ear’ might arguably be the most famous visual manifestation of self-harm due to psychosis. Rachmaninov produced his century-defining ‘Piano Concerto No. 2’ after attending an intense course of hypnotherapy for his depressive symptoms. Sylvia Plath suffered from manic depression and eventually committed suicide.
There is even a phenomenon named after her, claiming poets are more susceptible to mental illness compared to other writers. The list goes on, providing irrefutable evidence for the relationship between the creative arts and mental illness. Could it be that we have been interpreting this association the wrong way round? Instead of thinking of art as a manifestation of suffering, perhaps we should think of art as the medicine for mental wellbeing.
Suffering is not art
In the article ‘Why I hate the myth of the suffering artist’, Al Kennedy explained that suffering is not inherently art; if an artist is able to turn their pain into art, it is because they’ve got an artist’s talent. To Kennedy, the concept that suffering brings art is poisonous. By assuming that suffering evokes artistic expression, we perpetuate the idea that wellness equates with “non-art”—ingenuine works that lack emotional provocation with no creativity. We can’t be blamed completely for this bias; after all, the media feeds us content that is hyper-fixated on the demise and torment of artists and musicians.Tormented art sells. Perhaps more concerning is the fetishisation of trauma from the artists themselves, where they focus on their suffering rather than their creative process.
Art as a psychological process
Art is a human phenomenon. Therefore, it is fundamentally a psychological process that involves integrating different parts of the brain. In fine art, one of the most significant components is the visual perception of space, form, and colour — the artwork is perceived by our eyes, then transmitted to and processed in the occipital cortex. In 1954, Rudolf Arnheim wrote ‘Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye’, in which he suggests that stimuli are organised as a whole, as opposed to a collection of separate elements. It then follows that the creative process is psychologically active and an intellectual experience, with visual perception intrinsically linking to the cognitive process of thinking. Arnheim theorises that the creative process is a problem-solving journey — balancing raw emotions with emotional resonance, imagination, and reality.
This can also be applied to music, literature, and other performative arts, as the creative process requires neurological integration of different cognitive functions: for example the occipital cortex for visual perception, the motor cortex for art-making, and the auditory cortex for listening. Creating art also demands introspection of and response to one’s own psyche to effectively express and evoke the desired emotions in the viewer, reader, or audience. This would involve the hippocampus for recalling memories, and the prefrontal cortex for emotional processing and resonance. This process, similar to aesthetic appreciation, can be comforting and cathartic.
The healing power of creativity
Art can transform lives by communicating and externalising pain and emotion. A qualitative research study by Susan Spaniol establishes the link between art and mental illness. Spaniol interviewed artists, with many recalling pleasure and solace in artistic production despite their struggles with loneliness. She proposes the possibility that art could be more closely related to psychological wellness than illness, believing that by incorporating art in clinical therapy centres, creativity can be used to heal.
There is a therapeutic effect to expressing identity and feelings through creativity and visual metaphors. In this way, the creative process provides an opportunity to self-connect, and patients might find it easier to show rather than tell. It then tracks that these expressions can be used as data points for mental illness recovery. The promotion of art-based research has shown promise in improving and recovering from mental illness. Encouraging creativity is for everyone, and it works for everyone.
The therapeutic value of art is everywhere if you want to experience it. Ultimately, art revolves around your personal expression, allowing you to heal according to your own terms.
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