Artistic Stereotypes

I have heard it said that artists must undergo great pain to create great art. I have often found it foolish, however, at the present time I see the merit in it. I don't believe that pain is a requirement. Indeed, great works can be created through joy, hope, and love. For the artistic spirit, pain and stress can be a stimulus for creation, an outlet for our emotion that has nowhere else to go. Those who are reading this may point to faith, or counseling, or perhaps a cold beer. They do not understand the necessity for the artist to create, the absolute NEED to bring forth something from nothing. I believe in God. I know he will carry my burdens, but I also know that He has given me a gift. Through this gift I can release emotions to Him. As stress builds in my life, so does my need to create. I have a strong desire to simply go drop everything and work in the darkroom. Even if the prints don’t turn out, I have released that emotion. I see this as a way to honor this gift. It is from this that I agree in the statement that pain and art go hand in hand, but I do not believe it in the senseless way of those who believe they must starve and sit on the street. That is not for me. Stress can be a great stimulus to create, to let go, and enjoy life. And so here I sit, recalling so many phrases from a book I read years ago. Here is one such phrase: “If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for to the creator there is no poverty and no poor indifferent place.” -Rainer Maria Rilke, LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET