Who Says Your Pain is Required for Wonderful Writing?

In the creative professions, mental illness and depression can be celebrated and even venerated as an unavoidable way to access our muses. The romantic vision of the tortured artist is one we’ve all seen. The man or woman dressed all in black, pining for their lost love or just mad at the world, channeling their pain into their art. One of our most celebrated artists, Van Gogh, spent time in a mental institution and cut off an ear while painting his most gorgeous visions. Hemingway famously quipped, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

But I am here to tell you, your pain is not required to express your art, and the depression and grief that invades you as a result of suffering can block your creativity. Yep. That cruelty to yourself actually keeps your muse away.

The belief that your pain and suffering is necessary to express your art is, at best, wrong-headed. Shifting your mindset to embrace the idea that you can express yourself creatively with a joyful attitude and contented, balanced life is my mission as a creativity coach.

But sometimes the depression and pain can’t be avoided.

I live with a low-grade depression that some days takes me out of play even now when I’ve learned what I have to do to deal with it. But it’s nothing compared to what others struggle with. My depression can be managed by setting aside one day a week to rest and rebuild my energy. If things get a little too heavy, volunteering usually sets me on my hopeful and contented path again.

Chronic and clinical depression needs more support than that.

Way back when I volunteered for a hospice organization (which is a great way to put your own problems into perspective), our continuing education included a talk from an expert in depression who discussed suicide. After all, suicide among those with terminal illnesses is more common than in the general population.

The thing that stuck in my mind from this talk was the fact that suicide was the terminal end of depression.

Depression is an illness, like the illnesses we saw every day at the hospice house. And that, if someone’s life ended in suicide, we could reassure their family that this act didn’t reflect on them or their actions, but that it was the illness wrenching control away from their loved one just like a tumor taking over a vital organ.

Little enough comfort for the bereaved, for certain, but something that carried forward with me.

Now, this does not mean that every person struggling with clinical depression will commit suicide. Depression is not a terminal illness. But it does mean that we need to treat it with the seriousness that we use for any chronic illness.

And that means that, just like we need to go to the doctor for physical pain, we need to get appropriate treatment from a trained professional for our mental health.

Now, I am not a trained therapist. I am a creativity coach, writer, and former hospice volunteer who carries the wisdom of a certain age and experience. You need a fully trained and accredited therapist to support you with your mental health—and that’s not going to be me.

But I am here to tell you, you are not required to suffer from mental health issues because you are a creative being. Suffering is not necessary to bring out the beauty in your work.

The only thing your creative work needs to come alive is you.

So reject this romantic fantasy of the tortured artist, and get the help you need to support your mental health.

If you don’t know where to start, click here to visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

And if you need someone to hold your hand while you make the call, reach out to family, friends, or me. I’ll stand by you as you negotiate the necessary systems and encourage you in your search, guiding as I am able and stepping aside when appropriate.

The only thing that IS required by your art is YOU. Only you can bring your art into the world.

And I know I’m not the only person who would love to see it.

LA (as in tra-la-la) Bourgeois uses Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching tools™ to break down resistance, procrastination, and overwhelm while gently encouraging you with humor and heart. Are you ready to embrace joy as you pursue your creative goals? Discover more at her website, labourgeois.biz

Time Crunch & Writerly Tips

As writers, the writing job is never done. As you type The End on one story, the next is nudging to be written. There is editing and marketing. Contests to join and craft to study. And don't forget networking.  Or book events and record keeping. I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. The list is truly endless. 

A writer could spend twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year doing writer stuff and still have things on the to-do list. It's an endless job that wears down some of the best of us.  

At the start of the pandemic, I knew that being a social worker during a world-wide crisis was going to be time consuming. I should have altered my schedules and commitments from the get-go so my life was more manageable. But I'm guilty of allowing the business of busy-ness to get me spinning in circles and it's only when I force myself to pause that I can take stock of all the wisdoms I've accumulated during my writerly years that have kept my spins as 360's. Spin round, then keep going.  

So, here's my short list, a refresher course for myself and for you. 

1. You started writing for the love of the stories; don't let the business of it wear you down. Step back and remember: it's the words you love.  Focus on them and move forward. 

2. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. 

3. If you want to be a novelist, you have to write books. 

4. Write down what you're doing every fifteen minutes. If you're playing solitaire during check-ins, delete it from your phone. 

5. More than one path leads into the writer kingdom. 

6. Doing a few things well is better than doing everything half-assed. 

7. Don't forget to read.

8. Don't forget to exercise.

9. Don't forget to eat a healthy meal. 

10. And finally, always remember that juggling balls is cool as hell. Dropping balls that cause you to trip and face plant in public is not so cool. Hold tight to your balls by letting go of some when you have to. 

What sage tips do you suggest? I'm always looking to add to my list!