The case for the tortured artist

We have all heard of stories of the tortured artist and the mental state that leads them to great works of art. Vincent Van Gogh was one such person that anyone can recognize. He produced some of the greatest artworks revered today by collectors such as Sunflowers and the Starry Night. He sadly died young by committing suicide and went through life in and out of homes for the mentally ill.

Many of us typically stereotype a tortured artist as the foundation from where spectacular artworks are produced. Perhaps from the darkest recesses of the mind lies the creativity that was not meant for humans but for the divinity above. This has been popularized by the media, television movies etc. since the topic is very intriguing. It directly correlates with our inherent nature of being human where many of us have gone through mild or extreme forms of depression.

We know today that great works of art does not necessarily emanate from tortured souls, although their techniques may portray this in their paintings. Some of the best works of creativity can come from people like you and me who are just simply passionate about art that over time they take it to great heights.

Why don’t you try to create some of their artwork and get a sense of the genius in the people who painted those. In the drawing below, I show you how I created the starry night on a digital 32 inch screen.

You can also see this video.