After hearing about the lives of these two extremely memorable and influential writers, I began to think about the relationship between artistic genius and emotional pain. Shelley had the majority of all her friends and loved ones die before she was 30 and during this pain produced some incredible works of literature. Poe was arguably an addict; he continually drank even as it interfered with his life, ultimately preventing him from marrying a woman whom he loved. Throughout all of this he was able to create art that would make him one of the most recognizable names in Gothic fiction.
It seems to me that nearly every memorable artist was tortured by some aspect of their lives. The examples are nearly endless. Vincent Van Gogh was so insane that he cut off his own ear to give to his lover, yet produced some of the most captivating and beautiful paintings of all time. Kurt Cobain changed the course of musical history in the 90′s but despite his millions of dollars and adoring fans he committed suicide after a life of depression and drug addiction. Hunter S. Thompson was one of the greatest writers to emerge from the dope decades but also committed suicide after years of drug abuse and insanity.
Why is it that there is such a close correlation between pain and art? It seems as though the greatest art is produced by individuals who live a very difficult life. Often times artists how have lived happy lives do produce meaningful work but it still seems bland in comparison to work of the more tortured individuals.
February 23, 2010 at 1:30 am |
Maybe, if you have no complaints, there is nothing to write about? Thinking about that, I used to write a ton of poetry in Grade 12 of high school, back when everything was complicated with emotions flying everywhere. I think that is the key: Emotion. Whether negative or positive (and it seems more negative right here), emotion needs to be felt in order for an author to feel the need to express it and hence write their story/poem/whatever. Maybe. That’s what I think. Good discussion topic though.
March 11, 2010 at 2:18 pm |
Well, I think it’s unfair to say that if you lived a happy life, you won’t make good art. However, I definitely agree with you that a greater proportion of “melancholy artists” exists comparable to happy artists. That stereotype exists for a reason, after all.
, you definitely have a point. Beethoven is another classic example: lost his hearing and had the suffering embodied in the “Moonlight Sonata,” but was still capable of the great joy you see in his later symphonies.
Part of it, I think, is that a tortured world can both give creative inspiration and drive someone to escape, somehow, through art. Although I’m not sure I’d put Cobain in the same class as all these other people
I think it’s because madness and genius are kissing cousins. When you have a talent and intelligence of that magnitude, the world tends to prey on you a little bit more, and everything seems so much larger in proportion. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.