Artists with Mental Illness

ive notice over the years there alot of artist with mental diseases like myself. iam an artist and have been since i was a toddler.some of my early drawings are what triggered my mother to get me some help.

today i still draw and paint and have been published in many magazines as well as selling my art. my art is an outlet for me and its also something i enjoy alot.

i was wondering how many more of you may be artists ?

I am what keeps you both going..........I am an art lover and I love to read novels and therefore you both keep up with you blessed talents.

I have always wanted to paint but have no idea where to start.  I am a bit old for school.

I admire art and love to visit the galleries.

Hugs

Kitt

I have a degree in Visual Arts & Graphic design. My graduate thesis was called "the link between creativity and mental illness." most amazing artists were actually highly tortured souls- with deeply pyschological issues. one of my favourite artists, edvard munch who is most famous for 'the scream' suffered from AP, depression, addictions and OCD. however he often refused treatment and one of his most touching quotes (its touching for me) was:

"Without my illness, I would have been like a rudderless ship at sea."

So his illness gave him the drive to create and to express himself clearly.

its interesting stuff. Maz XX

Hi everyone... I am an artist as well.... I paint and sell my artwork which always amazes me. When I sold my very first painting I told my girls that I could officially call myself an artist. I used to be a professional photographer and had some of my photos published ( everybody and their dog got issues of the magazine they were published in !!!!, whether they wanted one or not. )
I also write and have had some of my writing published as well.... essays, articles on abuse and the fragmentation of women's and children's psyche and lives for victims who've had to change their identities.
I've started a couple of children's books that I may have the courage to attempt to have published some day.

It is interesting that this question came up as a thread because just today I was thinking that my new year's resolution would be to paint and write everyday ..... I realized how much it has helped me in the past when darkness threatens to pull me under.
In order to express it, you have to let yourself feel it... there is no going around it ....you MUST go THROUGH it ....and in so doing come out the other side triumphant and in the Light again.!
Even journal writing for those who don't consider themselves "artistic" is a great form of therapy....

Whether you call yourself an artist or not.... art has always been a great therapeutic tool... my children used drawing to express themselves and purge themselves of their demons .... they were too little to put it all into words . The pictures they drew gave the counsellor a clear idea of what was happening in their little minds. I remember one picture my youngest drew when she was 4.... she drew her father behind bars and in the very top corner of the picture she drew a set of keys ...then in the opposite top corner she drew her father's "privates" .... and told the counsellor that "daddy was in jail and that she is safe now because he can't reach the key or his 'private parts' (although she used the correct term for it)..." so now he can't hurt me anymore"
My other daughter used play therapy and " drew" scenarios with dolls and doll furniture .... all very revealing. It is amazing how the mind can heal itself just by finding expression for what is hurting.
Mary

I agree Kitt. . . about the only way I can paint is a fence or chicken coop, lol. . . I do love artistic people though

Edvard Munch watched his mother and his sister die when he was pretty young, and people feel this childhood trauma lead to alot of his emotional disorders. He had a personal P-Doc who had him scheduled into pysch facilities, but once there, Munch would just paint and refuse all forms of treatment, particlularly E.S.T. he felt that if he was 'free' of the pain of his mental illness that his creativity would dry up, and as painting was his life, he chose to suffer and make art, rather than seek proper help and give up his greatest passion.

He was only one of my artists for my grad thesis, but he was the one i identified with the most. Jackson Pollock and Van Gough were also incredibly unstable pyschologically, with documented diagnosed mental health issues. they also refused treatment. Now that i teach (art and english) i have limited time for my own art, but i paint, use mixed media and i do alot of old school darkroom photography.

Maz XX

p.s Twisted if you are interested i can email you the short, brief abridged version of my paper.

Kitt- I just went to the store and bought acrylic paints, paint brushes, and canvas one day from Walmart and went to town. I haven't stopped since.

I had formal training when I was in school but not much was geared towards fine arts, so I just developed my own techniques of chaos and fun!

Try it! They even have kits for "acrylic painting for beginners" at Walmart.

I just taught myself tho.

TG~

Twiggy,

Thank you, thnak you. Your the first person that took me serious. I would love to paint or try it but I had no idea where to begin. I appreciate your answer so much.

I will be looking at that beginner kit at Walmart tomorrow.

You are a sweetie.

Thanks.

Kitt

kitt a good place to buy supplies is AC more. i dont know if you have one of those around your area but if you do check them out. you dont have to spend alot of money on a nice starter kit but it is a good idea to get a well known brand name as it will help. a crappy brand can actually make it harder to learn techniques. you may think you are doing something wrong and its just the brand not working rite.

Ooo, Kitt, that's NICE! The ones at the link to his name were all really beautiful too.

I'll share one too: type "charles burchfield" into Google and then ask just for images. His book of the Seasons is really soothing.

percycat

does anyone use their art for a creative release and let the anxiety poor through ? most of my work is "horror" related and i love those types of movies and such but i wonder if the pressure of anxiety,ocd and panic attacks feeds that outlet ?

hey gg, the horror movies and what i draw dont raise my anxiety at all.its just something ive drawn since i was little.maybe the trauma of loosing my dad at an early age has something to do with it.dont get me worng i do draw/paint "nice"things to. lol

Twisted, my art is also very dark. my graduate exhibtion was packed with darkness and themes of unhappiness and really it was so cathartic. i noticed you havent put your email in your profile, so i cant send you any pics of my work.

Maz XX