Connecting Mental Health with Creativity

There is a link between expressing creativity and mental health. Going back to the 1800s, Vincent Van Gogh, a painter, took his life in 1890, and Sylvia Plath, a writer, took hers in 1963. They were just two of many on a long list. Other famous names include Kurt Cobain, Robin Williams, Naomi Judd, Mindy McCready, and Chester Bennington from Lincoln Park. Depression isn’t new, it’s just finally being discussed. The struggle is real and has been here since life.

With creativity, there comes so much time we spend in our head we spread ourselves way too thin on time, trying to make sure we can fit everything. Sometimes we put impossible expectations on ourselves because of our desired perfection in which we set ourselves up to fail. Being creative is a gift and we can use that creativity for so much goodness but we must set boundaries for ourselves to be healthy.

When we live with the challenges mental health can bring we may often choose to cope through music, art, or writing. When we can tap into creativity it allows our minds to perhaps escape whatever darkness has been holding us down. We can also uncover hope through creativity because we feel a release. And when we have hope we have purpose.