raveneyes wrote:
A survey comparing mental health and the number of sexual partners among the general population, artists and schizophrenics found that artists are more likely to share key behavioural traits with schizophrenics, and that they have on average twice as many sexual partners as the rest of the population.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/sto … 61,00.html

I fear that I have too much of the social withdrawl and too little talent. But I wonder how much family and enviroment have to do with it. I grew up in a low income family where spending time, energy, and especially money, on creative things was somewhat discouraged. I do much better when I am in a supportive enviroment/relationship.

Henry

Pat Thielen wrote:
Right... just what is this "sex" thing you speak of? I have no memory of such a thing. I do believe you are speaking of a myth of sorts... Sex. Yeah, right.

  And are you still an artist if all you have is clinical depression? I think that may qualify you as a Goth, but I'm not sure about the artist side. I've also heard that bi-polar disorder is the disease of the poet, but I'm not sure if that's been shown to be true or not.

  And... I did find a website somewhere (sorry, I can't recall where) that studied what they felt was the "myth" of artistic insanity. While certain afflictions do tend to run in the artistic community, they don't seem to occur much more than with non-artists. I think the fame of the artist, and perhaps the romanticism of the artistic lifestyle, may bring mental illness more to the forefront when writing and reading about these people. Also, for an artist to be successfull, mental illness is a huge impermant to their success. Ever try to create work and market yourself when severely depressed? Doesn't happen. Inspiration seems to dry up, self-confidance falls, insomnia ensues, and of course the occasional panic attack. This isn't a very healthy environment to create and sell work. So, my theory is the really successfull artists are those that are either healthy, or have any mental illness they have well in check (although of course their are some who do function with severe mental illness; there are exceptions).

  Anyway, just my opinion. Hopefully this doesn't demote me to GWC... that would really suck (actually, I'm a guy with multiple cameras).

  -P-

Interesting comment and I agree with some of it. At risk of alarming others I admit that I have some problems with depression. Not severe, but it does seem to drain my energy (I have trouble with carrying out the ideas I get, I have hundreds of photos, art, and writing projects that are unfinished, I go in and out of having low self-esteeme.) But I keep coming back and trying it again, and again. Sometimes I do sense progress. What reall made my situation worse in the last few years was being the only sibling to give care to my mother in her last years. Everyone else wanted to put her in a care home which she did not want to do. But being the caregiver burned me out emotionally and financially.

Henry

Krista Muller wrote:
right now I am an amateur. Maybe an artist, but I am definitely not anything else. Don't make money doing it. I spend a lot of time on it using inferior equipment. I have an art degree, but that doesn't really mean anything.

My browser's a problem for some reason, so it'll be questionable whether this comes through.  But you're doing nice work.  You need that sense of authority, but that will come with confidence.  So go for it.

Krista Muller wrote:
right now I am an amateur. Maybe an artist, but I am definitely not anything else. Don't make money doing it. I spend a lot of time on it using inferior equipment. I have an art degree, but that doesn't really mean anything.

You're an artist...

Ivan123 wrote:

Lapis:  This is great!  thank you.

Here! Here!

I second that.