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RE: Art and Creativity: The Saga of the Tormented Artist-- Is Suffering Required for Creativity?
For me I think I am better mentally when I am creative. If I go to long without my creative outlet then I get crazy. I guess it's probably different for everyone but for me creativity helps keep me sane. It breaks the monotony, distracts me from all the ill's of the world and gives me joy. I believe we are all creative and the more we can use it the better we will be. I do think that many artist's use their art as a cathartic process that helps them release or process emotional grief . That said I don't feel like mental illness creates better or more valid art, I believe that comes from creative passion, creative exploration as well as commitment to the process of making art.
Yup I agree with you. It's expressing yourself that drives art and as you say is a 'cathartic process to release emotional grief' as well =))
One thing that does seem to hold true is that a lot of artists and creatives are more sensitive than the population at large... suggesting that they also experience more pain/injustice/depression than the broader population. And so there is more (or more intense "stuff") to be worked through by artistic types.
I have personally never found that "being in a state" improves the quality of my creativity... in fact, it tends to be quite the opposite; I'm more likely to sit in the corner in a catatonic state.