On a recent Instagram scroll I noticed yet another artist portraying themselves as struggling despite visiting Bali for a vacation. The widespread belief that creative people suffer for their work exists as real phenomena or represents merely a popular misconception of refined imagery. The following discussion explores the reasons behind artist struggles with an assessment of their authenticity along with confirmations of performance enhancement.
The Broke AF Reality
Living on Ramen and Dreams
Let’s get real for a second. The musical life of most artists differs drastically from the riches enjoyed by Jay-Z and Taylor Swift. The typical musician in America receives roughly $30k annually for their artwork if they manage to earn any income at all through their musical career. My cousin’s boyfriend maintains his existence through touring with his regional band and using the benefits of his girlfriend’s Netflix and ramen meals. It’s not cute.
Success After Death Is Still Failure
Throughout his lifetime Van Gogh managed to sell only one painting. ONE! His artwork currently commands millions in the market. Make it make sense! After Nirvana achieved success Kurt Cobain fought to find happiness because the riches and recognition did not fulfill him. The state of being broke stands as a different situation than experiencing psychological emptiness after achieving success.
The Gig Economy Grind
The majority of creative professionals struggle through the digital economy by accepting minor commissions and holding punishing positions alongside struggling to create their art in their off-hours. The streaming payment systems also fail to impress me because artists receive fewer than one cent for every Spotify stream. The typical artist receives fewer than one cent when someone streams music on Spotify. Billie Eilish revealed streaming payments do not meet expectations even though she has numerous millions of streams.
The Mental Health Mess
The Stats Don’t Lie
Here’s where things get spicy. Creativity maintains a very strong relationship with mental health problems. Evidence indicates bipolar disorder affects writers at a rate of 10 times higher than average population statistics while depression rates stand at four times greater. Those aren’t small numbers, people!
When Genius Meets Disorder
The public has long observed bipolar manifestations in Kanye West’s (“Ye” in recent times) actions. His acute brilliance is undeniable although his bipolar condition repeatedly appears in public displays since years ago. During the VMAs Kanye West cut in on Taylor Swift’s performance. Or his presidential run? A brilliant artist functions alongside mental health difficulties in one distinctive occupation.
The 27 Club Is Not a Club You Want to Join
Through her music we received the devastating album “Back to Black” though Amy Winehouse’s addiction treatment and depression eventually led to her passing at age 27. Winehouse expressed her genuine pain and addiction problems through unprocessed lyrics which mirrored her real-life experiences.
The Pressure Cooker of Public Opinion
Your Soul, Ripped Apart in the Comments Section
You create content which means a lot to you by devoting your deepest thoughts to it then share it for people to evaluate worldwide. The current age of social media allows people to witness immediate reactions when others evaluate the project through praise as well as criticism. No pressure!
When the World Decides to Hate You
Through her public dialogues Lady Gaga revealed how reading internet hostility triggered depression until she reached a breaking point. What success Gaga achieves cannot shield her from the persistent criticism she faces regularly. Everyone used to express their dislike for Nickelback as if the musical act was a major worldwide issue. The pop group received such constant ridicule that they became a widespread punchline throughout numerous years. You must admit that such commentary would disturb your mental stability.
The Social Media Treadmill
The negative impact social media exerts on artists has become even more severe because of the online environment. Modern artists must perform content creation tasks alongside social media management and public brand representation services before ever engaging with actual art-making activities. Artists must perpetually involve with their fans and disclose their creative process along with publically sharing their private life moments. The entire situation forces exhaustion upon anyone who considers it.
The Isolation Factor
Alone With Your Thoughts (Scary)
Creating art represents a deeply isolated experience as very few people acknowledge its isolation. Writers leave themselves alone for hours as painters stand by their easels and musicians commit numerous hours to practice in solitude. The creative development for group artistic projects requires extended individual time where artists operate independently even when their work requires team collaboration.
When Your Art Mirrors Your Loneliness
Edward Hopper painted urban isolation through his literal art while keeping himself so introverted that he mainly spent time either with his wife or by himself. The famous Nighthawks painting depicts late-night diner-goers to portray the common experience of being alone with others that artists frequently encounter.
Famous and Lonely: The Celebrity Paradox
Touring and his rapid ascent to fame caused Post Malone to experience loneliness and paranoia in his life. While being in close proximity to others he felt isolated to the point where his anxiety worsened. The presence of sycophants and industrial personnel does not compare to real human connection.
The Impostor Syndrome Plague
“They’re Going to Find Out I’m a Fraud”
All artists I have encountered and myself experience this feeling of being a fraud which is known as impostor syndrome. As an impostor you feel like a counterfeit whose deceit will soon be exposed to the world. The condition spreads among creative communities in much the same way as a lasting illness.
Even the Legends Feel Like Fakes
Pop star Adele possesses both Grammy awards in abundance and record-setting sales but she has revealed her doubt regarding the legitimacy of her achievement. Similar comments regarding inadequacy have come from Lady Gaga’s own mouth. Such successful artists who dominate global music charts doubt their adequacy despite their world-class achievements.
The Validation Addiction
Impostor syndrome develops a continuous damaging pattern which affects individuals mentally. When facing impostor syndrome you put in more effort to establish your competence yet experience burnout which hurts your creative abilities which further strengthens your self-doubts. You will find yourself in a nervous state after constant repetitions through which you sustain yourself with both caffeine and positive feedback.
So Why Keep Creating?
Honored artists should pursue accounting education instead of continuing to expose themselves to such suffering. Artist expression seems mandatory to numerous creative individuals who lack an alternate option. Their artistic nature defines them more than their creative acts do.
According to Frida Kahlo she paints self-portraits regularly for the two reasons that she spends much time alone and that she knows herself better than anyone else. Her artwork became the of her body and mind to process the various injuries and psychological tensions she endured during her existence.
Through their artistic process some people survive the difficulties of life. Art functions as the outlet which helps people vent their accumulated emotional tension. Throughout his life Leonard Cohen fought depression and he revealed once that he would visit the source of good songwriting if he knew how to reach it. According to him creativity acted as both a remedy and an additional outcome against his struggles.
The Upside (Yes, There Is One)
I want everyone to stay away from the depressing impression I have created. As artists possess a supernatural ability to convert their pain into artistic masterpieces which touch the hearts of different people.
From Personal to Universal
The emotional expression Adele displays in “Someone Like You” enables her to represent the struggle of countless broken hearts worldwide. That connection is powerful AF.
After Kurt Cobain’s tragic death Dave Grohl created Foo Fighters thus transforming his sorrow into an extremely successful rock music group. Through artistic expression artists can find healing benefits alongside the audience.
The Bottom Line
The artistic profession involves artistic suffering which emerges from financial troubles and mental health problems along with public scrutiny and lonely isolation and identity problems alongside impostor afflictions and creative exhaustion. A perfect combination of elements combine to create extraordinary difficulty in leading a creative existence.
Despite enduring all difficulties people continue to produce art because of an unknown driving force. In such moments one must face suffering straight on because it leads to better things. Art generally represents the single path which helps artists navigate their specific challenges of torment.
The intense beauty in your favorite sad song and art can be traced back to genuine personal harm affecting the artists. Through their expressions of pain the artist allowed you to find solace from your solitude. Such an amazing outcome exists here. Using this insight should not give anyone license to underpay artists. The form of pain we absolutely need to eliminate.
