However, the inversion that I’ve seen pointed out is a valid one – the idea that artists must be suffering from some sort of mental illness to be that way. I say this not because it’s a bad label, which I suppose it is, but because it reduces the personal toll to one of servitude.

“Well, Van Gogh was unhappy his whole life but look at these wonderful paintings he produced.”

This idea of ups and downs – where we get the up and they get the down – is problematic. If Van Gogh was sad for his whole life, then it wasn’t worth it – no matter what paintings we get to enjoy because of it. More than a few people have expressed the same sentiment to me when I’m feeling down, about it being “good material”, and I’m not going to be Van Gogh in any month of Sundays.

It also creates a dichotomy whether you’re an artist or not, the idea that your life is somehow good because you did good – even if it felt like a living hell. It creates a cycle of self-sacrifice instead of looking for help.

Anyway, I do like this blog post a lot but agree that the message can be taken in two ways – good and bad.

I agree that saying all artists have a mental illness is wrong. I myself am an artist. Art, however; is not about talking to God. Maybe for certain artists…but being an artist is connecting to your own unique beliefs. If that is Christian influenced or Muslim influence, that is to that unique individual. I am an atheist and I am whole-heartedly devoted to my connection with the universe via knowledge and emotion; which is dedicated to hopes and admiration for the human race as well as discovery of time and space.

So you are making a catagory mistake just as the people who have stated that artists have mental illness. Not all art is about connecting to a deity. For some, it’s different. If you are going to criticize, do not be hypoctritical.