Suffering for Art

There is an interesting blog I follow by Christian Mihai, a writer, wherein he discusses a lot of topics, but of particular interest to me are his art topics. One of the blogs had to do with suffering for art, which I always found to be a fascinating subject, particularly since it has been much debated as far back as I can remember which is quite a few years now. I always picture Vincent Van Gogh whenever I hear about this because it seems he suffered quite a lot from his mental illness, and then translated that into physical suffering when he sliced his ear off. I also equate artistic suffering with financial suffering, since that seems to be another popular link, and not without some basis in fact.

Now being a working artist is not an easy task by any means, and let's face it, work usually equals some kind of suffering, no matter what it entails. Many people work at jobs that do not pay very well for the amount of effort they expend, and always dream of earning more money and bettering their lot in life by doing so. So are artists really any different than any other working individual or is their suffering unique by virtue of their vocation?

I don't have any definitive answer to that question, but I will tell you what I know. After being in the workforce all my life and working very hard every day to earn a paycheck that certainly did not equal my efforts, ever, and never being able to truly own what I did, it amounted to a lot of suffering equals little reward. However, when I am working on my art in any capacity, I am rewarded with the gift of creative release and satisfaction. My spirit knows an inner joy that is rejuvenating, healing, and rewarding. It feels like I have taken my soul to the spa, and instead of feeling depleted, anxious, and stymied, I feel gratified and fulfilled.

So do artists suffer for their art? I believe that people that are fortunate enough to work at what they love may suffer financial hardships as well as other stumbling blocks along the way, just as anyone in the work force anywhere does. What makes the difference is if you are doing something that you truly love and are passionate about, because when that is the case, it no longer is a torturous everyday existence that exerts a mind numbing control over your being, but instead, one that you embrace with anticipation and happiness every day.