227: How Artists Represent Feelings

Many artists credit their work as a way to manage or deal with anxiety, depression and other forms of mental illness. Since October is Mental Health Awareness month, I wanted to share the stories of artists who found a way to deal with their illness by creating art. 

Yayoi Kusama and Confronting Anxiety 

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is known for her polka-dot art. She has been open about her mental health and shred that art has become her way to express her mental problems. In her words "I fight pain, anxiety, and fear every day, and the only method I have found that relieved my illness is to keep creating art.” 

I feature her in my upcoming book Artpreneur when I talk about embracing your inner weirdo. Many artists suffer from anxiety and it’s one of the reasons that I have mental health experts on the podcast.  

You can pre-order Artpreneur here.   

Edvard Munch and The Scream 

Edvard Much painted the scream a few years after his father passed away. He shared that the weight of the world had suddenly hit him. Growing up he was surrounded by death and depression and himself suffered with mental illness himself.  

He said, “art comes from joy and pain, but mostly from pain.” I can relate to this. Maybe the art comes from pain, but it brings me great joy. Do you feel that way too?  

Artist Agnes Martin and Mental Illness 

Agnes Martin painted in a minimalist style but considered herself an part of the abstract expressionist movement. She suffered from hallucinations, depression and was often hospitalized and eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia.  

She used subtle color and meticulously drawn grids to create a calming effect. About her work she said “art is the concrete representation of our most subtle feelings.  

Her work is also part of the Paul Allen billion-dollar art action at Christies later this month.  

Abstract Artist Mark Rothko on Overcoming Sorrow 

Rothko’s striking color combinations are meant to be meditations. He wanted to create art church’s where people could look at art and pray.  

He said “I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions and the fact that lots of people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I communicate those basic emotions. The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience that I had when I painted them.  

Art has a spiritual effect on me. Does it affect you that way too?  

Let me know what you think.  

Artist Paul Klee on Relieving Stress 

Klee was a multi passionate artist who studied art and the violin. He was in his 30’s before he focused on his art career. Even then, he changed his style often to defy categorization.  

He believed that creativity comes from beyond consciousness and that making art was a form of mediation. He said, “I paint in order not to cry.”  

Why do you create art? I’d love to know.