Charlie Herman – 10th May 2011
There’s a fine line between creativity and madness?
When I was growing up my parents called me ‘Mr. What If’, never being satisfied with a one-line answer to a question asked. Stupid things like ‘what would happen if you never got full?’ or ‘what would happen if it rained forever?’.As I grew older I applied this curiosity to art at school, experimenting with a range of ideas, materials and finally started to find my own answers. I’d get so excited when building up to an outcome, and even more so when it was finished and I’d get to show it off. I wish feelings like that could be bottled; I wish they lasted forever. However, the harsh reality is, they don’t, you feel angry and frustrated after having such a high, and all comes crashing down on you. BUT is this everyone? Or just me?..are all creative people pre-programmed to be bi-polar or hardwired for madness?
Many of us, who enjoy the arts, either as participants or enthusiastic fans of the creative process, are often described as temperamental or are made aware of the ‘myth of the artist’. This links the artistic genius to an inner, emotional world of frenzied highs, lows, and sheer madness.
Mental illness, predominantly manic depression, has somehow become an inseparable part of the triumphant experience in many cases of famous poets, painters, and musicians of our time. Famous writer Edgar Allan Poe, once wrote; ‘Men have called me mad but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence–whether much that is glorious–whether all that is profound–does not spring from disease of thought–from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect.’ Information has been gathered to support this cultural myth, and exposing a strong relationship between the mood cycles involved with manic depression and the creative process.
Realising that this is a rife and competitive industry, and appreciating that other creatives have highs and lows…maybe we should do something to share the love a little bit?
Just a thought?!
