Therapy and creativity

Hi, 

That depends...

Can you see Van Gogh painting this while totally sober, at ease and at peace with himself?

His quality of life would have probably improved greatly, but I think his genious would have suffered.

On the other hand, there are so many artists and performers, especially in this day and age, who totally lose it because they need some serious therapy to help them  allay all those demons, some of them end up in rehab and some just waste themselves (like Janis Joplin as one example).

I guess if you have what it takes, good therapy will help you be a better performer and creator. 

Personally speaking it was a big big help. I kept away from both therapy and medication for a few years afraid that it's going to make my art less intense, at the time I felt like my depression and sadness made me a more prolific artist. Actually the opposite happened, therapy gave me a much deeper insight into myself and helped me bring dormant parts of my personality to the surface in ways that made my art a lot more deep and meaningful. While medication helped me from wanting to just sleep or get drunk all the time and left me with more self control and mental space to create in.

I had to learn to create from a place of will  and not from a place of weakness and need - it took time, but I don't think that I stopped creating at any time. I think that the therapy I had about 4 years ago is still helping me a lot and is a big part of why I'm currently perusing a life as a full time artist.

I 'm hoping to start therapy again in the next couple of month to try and get over the fears and self sabotage in my work life. 

I think that this is a decision that one can make only alone and on an individual basis.  If someone feels like they want to die or that they have nothing to be happy about or to live for, I think that it doesn't matter what their creativity level is, they deserve to get help and to feel good about their life.  However, if someone feels like they aren't the most normal person but that this helps them to get in touch with their creative side, all power to them.  Sometimes, becoming happier will make one's creativity not lesson, but change completely, and this is ok.  In the end though, I think mental health takes precedence over making good art.

Therapy can help heal blocks to creativity.  It can also inspire one to dwelve deeper into the psyche and find new understandings and ways of looking at life issues. 

 I honestly believe that art, in and of itself, is the ultimate therapy.  We can learn so much about ourselves through the creative process. 

hi jcorn912, far from hurting or reducing one's creative process. a professional therapy session will put you in a high state of relaxation and awareness, that increases your creative abilities many fold to solve problems.

Muad'Dib, Kal

www.muaddibkal.com

Professional therapy often times helps create a better understanding of oneself, making the creative process more enlightening. I think in most people's cases, it will do the same.

Therapy certainly helps the creative process. It can open up areas of your mind that have been blocked due to emotional pain. I use art as a healing tool and I think the two go hand in hand. Therapy improves art and creativity, and art is therapeutic.