"Well, to be honest, I'm feeling kinda depressed"
-The depressed whale
Sylvia Plath put her head in an oven, Hunter S. Thompson and Hemingway put shotguns to theirs, Fitzgerald killed himself with alcohol. And those are just the ones who come immediately to mind. It bothers me immensely to contemplate how many of the great artists and thinkers have suffered to the point of desiring to entirely blot out their own consciousness. A study was conducted over the span of ten years that found “between 59 and 77 percent of the artists, writers, and musicians suffered mental illness especially "mood disorders," compared to just 18 to 29 percent in the less artistic professionals” (Reynolds).
I’ve been thinking a lot about this, about depression and the artistic/academic temperament. “Artistic” and “academic” are not commonly paired in such a manner, and I’m sure many people would take issue with said pairing. However, I place them together here because academics, at least in the humanities, are appreciators of art and certainly dedicate a majority of their lives to the study of art, whatever their art form of choice may be. So, in this way, artists and academics spend their lives in the service of art, either by means of creation or examination.
Considering the suicide rate and carelessness rate (and by that I mean accidental overdose) among artists and intellectuals, I think we can easily see the connection between depression and the people who spend their lives in service to art. But, why is this so? Why is it that the people who create the most beautiful and moving renderings of reality are also the ones who suffer the most mental pain? I think it is often mistakenly believed to be the fault of solitude. People are quick to point out the isolationist and misanthropic tendencies of artists and intellectuals. And there is something to that notion. Often, intellectuals, in their skepticism, deprive themselves of opportunities for community. However, I don’t think this isolation is the primary culprit.
It is a lack of ignorance that causes depression. And when I say “ignorance,” I stress “ignore.” The purpose of art is to examine the world; it does not allow for ignorance. In order to create art, you have to face the world and humanity and all of their flaws, head on. If you hide under the covers, you won't see a thing and you won't have a thing to write about. And if you appreciate art and study it, you are spending your time with commentary on the world, and again, this does not allow for ignorance or hiding from reality.
People say that artists and readers are cut off from the world, but nothing could be further from the truth. Artists (and I'm thinking specifically of writers) and readers (and all other appreciators and consumers of art) are by no means cut off from the world; in fact, they are the only ones who are fully engaged in it, the only ones who are taking the time to really look at it.
In Midnight in Paris the character of Gertrude Stein says, “The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.” (I hate to quote a character of a literary figure, rather than the literary figure herself, but it’s a great quotation!) Considering how many dark and depressing tales the great artists have created, I’m reluctant to fully agree with this statement. After all, so many artists seem to succumb to despair. But maybe, whether they succumb or not, all great artists also find/create “an antidote.” Maybe even something like The Bell Jar, in all its gloominess, is, in its beauty, the perfect medicine for the illness of emptiness. That story, and all other great ones I can think of, does not send a message of hopelessness- it sends a message of truth. It is not cheesy or falsely hopeful or even defeatist. It is honest- life is difficult and we don’t ever know what’s waiting around the corner. Art, if it is truly great, will always be a variation of that message and it’s a message that by its very expression brings despair and comfort, as does anything worth experiencing.
Until next time,
Leena
Reynolds, Susan. “Is Depression Inevitable for Artists and Creative People?” Gather.com. 19 Feb 2006. Web. 23 Jan 2012.
"The Depressed Whale." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_dEtaNx2Vc
You > Gertrude Stein
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