It’s played up a lot because it makes a good story, that being said stress and drug/ alcohol abuse are individually pretty bad and together can easily be fatal.
Being a famous artist can be hyper stressful by itself, nevermind adding easy access to substances.
Like others have said, people who are creatives are also often mentally ill. Fame and money doesn’t make it better, it often makes it worse as they realize they’re still depressed, or they have access to drugs that make their mental health worse.
The commercial mind set is very different than that of the creative mind, and often in conflict. When the two clash, there’s a lot of stress that can be detrimental to the artist.
Because most of those people grow up in the industry which also abuses them — you develop your personality during that part of your life and you’re being taking advantage (both by parents (people who are supposed to protect you) and those who are trying to make money off of you) of which causes mental disorders
Because everyone don’t see you a human with blood flowing through your veins they see you as a $ sign being talented is a lot to deal with already now having to deal with people and the norms is another Menhhh they crash and just give up they believe it’s a better option for them
Because they know they’ll never be able to pay rent doing what they love and even if they get lucky the cost of putting out something that can be personal for others to exploit and ruin is not really it either. There’s also no time to pursue it as a hobby and art school(which is just another debt collection) kills artist’s passion %90 of the time and again if that doesn’t the capitalistic world does. It’s just an unsustainable talent tbf. Can you make it work? Yeah, but talent and skill alone is not enough. It sucks coming to hate something you once enjoyed. Not to mention AI stealing the spotlight and stealing art right and left, and competing with every other “artist” 24/7, unable to sell your work of art because the modern art of one spot on a canvas is somehow worth 10 times the things you spent months on.
Many people under 30 are suicidal and many take their lives, whether or not they are artists. Suicide rates are up for all age groups, regardless of career path. The “tortured artist” who died too young is a classic image, but in reality the vast majority of young artists just become middle-aged and old artists over time.
Could you imagine “making it big” but the world is still awful and life still sucks. Maybe you get some money but you can’t really go anywhere and do anything without being recognized and endlessly bothered. And the biggest one you have the money to really let any vices you have go completely wild
“Alcohol and pills, its a cryin’ shame
You think they might have been happy with the glory and the fame
But fame doesn’t take away the pain, it just pays the bills And you wind up on alcohol and pills”
Because your imagination and creativity peaks around your late twenties, for most people. If your life revolves around creativity, your fuel often runs out by the time you’re in your 30s.
Because your brain doesn’t fully develop until around age 25. Plus many artists don’t intend to take their lives, but will sometimes overdose on drugs/etoh by accident.
Art pays really poorly and is a hugely exploitative field. Young artists are more likely to end up in bad situations with poor support networks and lots of desperation.
Lots of people take their own lives before they turn 30, we just don’t notice and remember unless they’re famous.
treating mental illness and mood disorders with addictive drugs is one big reason. alot of is accidental OD’s too or drug/medication interactions that cause suicidal thoughts.
success comes with alot of pressure and alot of enabling. alot of partying, alot of hangovers, uppers to perform, downers to get sleep. it catches up to you and wears you down.
the sensitive ego of an artist gets thrown into a rollercoaster once fame,validation, criticism, stalking, fake friends and haters get involved quicker than one can make sense of them.
As someone who gave up their career as an artist (and kept it as just a hobby) it is extremely stressful to put so much of you in to something and need for it to need to have a value in this awful capitalist hellhole that is contemporary society. if I had insisted more i am pretty sure i would also have suicidal thoughts.
Capitalism kills creativity and inovation, not only figuratively but also literally.
Comments
Because “talented artist” and “tortured artist” overlap a lot.
Its just a fact the best artists have the worst mental health
27 club.
It’s a sad membership.
Making art often requires you to feel deeply.
That’s not always a good thing.
They say when an artist is born, the gods flip a coin. One side greatness, the other madness.
Ass is not good for some
It’s played up a lot because it makes a good story, that being said stress and drug/ alcohol abuse are individually pretty bad and together can easily be fatal.
Being a famous artist can be hyper stressful by itself, nevermind adding easy access to substances.
Like others have said, people who are creatives are also often mentally ill. Fame and money doesn’t make it better, it often makes it worse as they realize they’re still depressed, or they have access to drugs that make their mental health worse.
It’s hard to live in this world as an intelligent man.
Having an easy and stable life doesn’t inspire you to write Rehab
The commercial mind set is very different than that of the creative mind, and often in conflict. When the two clash, there’s a lot of stress that can be detrimental to the artist.
Since they are talented, you know who they are. You don’t know all the other people taking their lives before they are 30.
Because that life regardless of the type of art is incredibly demanding and stressful. Most people can’t handle that stress constantly.
Because most of those people grow up in the industry which also abuses them — you develop your personality during that part of your life and you’re being taking advantage (both by parents (people who are supposed to protect you) and those who are trying to make money off of you) of which causes mental disorders
Because everyone don’t see you a human with blood flowing through your veins they see you as a $ sign being talented is a lot to deal with already now having to deal with people and the norms is another Menhhh they crash and just give up they believe it’s a better option for them
Because they know they’ll never be able to pay rent doing what they love and even if they get lucky the cost of putting out something that can be personal for others to exploit and ruin is not really it either. There’s also no time to pursue it as a hobby and art school(which is just another debt collection) kills artist’s passion %90 of the time and again if that doesn’t the capitalistic world does. It’s just an unsustainable talent tbf. Can you make it work? Yeah, but talent and skill alone is not enough. It sucks coming to hate something you once enjoyed. Not to mention AI stealing the spotlight and stealing art right and left, and competing with every other “artist” 24/7, unable to sell your work of art because the modern art of one spot on a canvas is somehow worth 10 times the things you spent months on.
Genius and severe mental issues often coexist
Drugs.
Many people under 30 are suicidal and many take their lives, whether or not they are artists. Suicide rates are up for all age groups, regardless of career path. The “tortured artist” who died too young is a classic image, but in reality the vast majority of young artists just become middle-aged and old artists over time.
Could you imagine “making it big” but the world is still awful and life still sucks. Maybe you get some money but you can’t really go anywhere and do anything without being recognized and endlessly bothered. And the biggest one you have the money to really let any vices you have go completely wild
Quoting Fred Eaglesmith:
“Alcohol and pills, its a cryin’ shame
You think they might have been happy with the glory and the fame
But fame doesn’t take away the pain, it just pays the bills And you wind up on alcohol and pills”
Because your imagination and creativity peaks around your late twenties, for most people. If your life revolves around creativity, your fuel often runs out by the time you’re in your 30s.
Do artists die of suicide at a higher rate than non artists? It seems like that bc idk if it’s true
Because your brain doesn’t fully develop until around age 25. Plus many artists don’t intend to take their lives, but will sometimes overdose on drugs/etoh by accident.
Greek mythology warns against those who fly too close to the sun. Deeply uneven young people made into demi-gods.
I think it’s a fear of the “creativity peaks at 26” idea and the general depression that comes along with being a truly talented artist
Creativity is directly linked to mental illness
Two big factors:
Art pays really poorly and is a hugely exploitative field. Young artists are more likely to end up in bad situations with poor support networks and lots of desperation.
Lots of people take their own lives before they turn 30, we just don’t notice and remember unless they’re famous.
treating mental illness and mood disorders with addictive drugs is one big reason. alot of is accidental OD’s too or drug/medication interactions that cause suicidal thoughts.
success comes with alot of pressure and alot of enabling. alot of partying, alot of hangovers, uppers to perform, downers to get sleep. it catches up to you and wears you down.
the sensitive ego of an artist gets thrown into a rollercoaster once fame,validation, criticism, stalking, fake friends and haters get involved quicker than one can make sense of them.
As someone who gave up their career as an artist (and kept it as just a hobby) it is extremely stressful to put so much of you in to something and need for it to need to have a value in this awful capitalist hellhole that is contemporary society. if I had insisted more i am pretty sure i would also have suicidal thoughts.
Capitalism kills creativity and inovation, not only figuratively but also literally.