David Lynch on Depression and Art 

You just put what I’ve been trying to say in so gracefully simple words. Also affirming there’s a great chance life happened to me, not for me. The thought of positivity can feel so provocing in that state. You brought color to my life. I adore you. Thank you.

@@annikatornlind727 stfu

Multiple people are entitled cows.

I'm sorry

Are they kidding me? I love the music.

I still think it goes both ways honestly. For me, an everyday struggler, some of the only joy I really have in life is from creating music. Yes, depression can get in the way of that, but art still keeps me motivated to get up and look forward to making something greater. Is the depressed artist cliché? Yes. Do you need stress to create good art? No. Does stress create good art? Sometimes, it absolutely does. Some frustration and sadness is essential in making certain kinds of art, it isn't necessarily required, but it can certainly add a certain amount of natural depth to the artwork that otherwise might not be there. Just look at Fur Elise by Beethoven. So some amount of stress and tragedy can produce beautiful artwork. On the other hand, if you're SO stressed and tragically crushed by every day life, then of course you can't create your best work. But I think there's a fine line.

I recently had an experience where I had a close to paralyzing evening of depression. But, I have learned some basic meditation and was able to observe the thought processes going on. It was crazy to notice how every new bit of motivation and the accompanied mental imagery tried to emerge, and just before it would turn into action it just got muffled like a tiny blade of grass getting smothered by a heavy, gloomy blanket. I definitely cannot create anything while depressed - but when not depressed I can create art of the depressive experiences. Doesn't mean depression is needed for art in general, but depression can be sublimated into art after the bout has passed.

Exactly. When depressed, you don't like anything. How are you supposed to pick between good and bad ideas when you don't like any?

So true! 😔 When I'm really depressed I might not even feel like playing video games

@@Danny_Cruz interesting take

Not ‘despite’ suffering, but absence of suffering while creating art

@@parthyadav3733 Yes, that's what I meant! :) The suffering does not contribute to the art.

​@@Karanagi depends on what art you want to make.

Adolf went trough that

Art has nothing to do with suffering. Art is self-expression. Everyone is an artist. Creativity is the ability to solve challenges in unconventional ways. That has nothing to do with what he says.

THIS. Back when I watched a lot of interviews with this guy that finger jiggling really infected me

Amen to that, had a lot happening in my life the last few years and it has been hell doing my studies. ^^*

@@00Kuja00 What's interesting is that Roland Barthes (in Fragments d'un discours amoureux) explains that the more you're in love with somebody, the less you manage to write about this person and this love. I guess some feelings (love, hate, suffering) can't be described when they are too intense.

@@Nclm1 Know the feeling. I am in love with a person so much it hurts and I don't think it's mutual. :/

I feel this

Eat chocolate cake and drink coffee. Eat a Hershey bar. ❤ Rocket Up 🚀 Rachet Up. ❤

How would you know

True

Well said, the clarity that comes after the depression is the driving force. You can't have the good without the bad.

Clinical depression is more of a spectrum: if you're at an extreme, can't get out of bed, are lethargic etc . Then it penalizes creativity. But truth is that emotional sensitivity is key for art. Art is all about emotions. At least that's one it is in music, i'm not as knowledgable in other types of arts. Jazz, romantic era, impressionism, bossa nova, etc. It's not about being depressed, but i'd say it's about a certain type of melancholy. Saudade is a portuguese world that describes well this phenomenon: "an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone". Both "sad" and "happy" to put it in simple words. Lastly, I think human nature have natural appeal for tragedy (and sadness) since the beginning of times. The most memorable and heart shattering art pieces are usually tragic: It's a carricatural thing to observe, but bad endings and tragedy are appealing (romeo and juliet, titanic, lala land, casablanca 1942, once upon a time in the west etc).

@@yulian7435 "Saudade is a portuguese word that describes well this phenomenon: "an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone". Both "sad" and "happy" to put it in simple words". Exactly. You are not describing a depressed person. You are describing a person that is dealing with struggles. A person full of emotions that is dealing with struggles.

@@Atlas65 yes i'm aware. There's clinical depression and "depression". My point was that from depression can birth beauty. From slavery came N spirituals, gospel then jazz. I agree it's still not depression, but pretty damn tough you'd agree. Overall, from negative feelings and "sadness" can arise beauty.

Yeah but he fucking did cause dude was a schizophrenic! I doubt David lynch can fix that shit.

you must be American

But then you could argue that, he may not have been suffering while painting, but his suffering outside of that helped him to create.

​@johnmartinez7440 Not really. In Van Gogh's case, most of his painting were made while he was in treatment. As another comment already mentioned, I believe that a certain amount of stress or sadness can help create certain types of art - as a way to get it out of the system, maybe -, but there's a fime line between this level of depression and stress that helps create, and the level that paralyses you.

I mostly agree, but I wouldn't say that's why suffering is important. There is no greater reason why it's important, it just is. And if a person chooses to learn from it or make the best out of the situation that is a conscious decision they must make. But a lot of people, artists or not, suffer and do not find ways to heal and overcome their struggles. I mean, if we're to believe some of these famous artists and musicians killed themselves then that's a very good example of what I'm talking about. Honestly, if somebody can live their life without falling deep into that darkness, that's better than being able to create because of suffering. Regardless of the quality of the art.

It sure does come in waves. I'm a musician (just for pleasure, not professional) and it sure effects my playing. Sometimes I wake up in the morning feeling like a king, and go to bed feeling like a hobo in a ditch. My moods switch instantly sometimes. Some little thing can just turn me around. Blaze Foley has this song called If I Can Only Fly. For me, it captures how I often feel. Specifically the line "feel so good, then i feel so bad. Wonder what I ought to do." Your username seems to indicate you're a man of faith. Or at least conscious of God. He is the only way thru any hard times. Jesus Christ is the answer but it sure is hard when you don't even feel like you can go on another day. Hopefully the day (or night) finds you alright. You're not alone😁 (I linked that song I mentioned, it's not virus link, I promise 🤣) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BMT76_mYDV0.html

man I'm in the exact same boat as you. one thing that's been helping me is going back and sorting or editing old pictures. It's been making me eager to get back out and shoot

Hang in there pal

I hear you. It really does come in waves, and that's the secret to surviving it. Always know that if you can tread water and just hold on, the wave will pass. Some days I go through the entire day, repeating over, and over to myself, this, too, shall pass, this, too, shall pass. Hang in there man. You're not alone.

Thanks for all the replies. I hope we all hang in!

I liked your comment, it conveys peace of mind

Discipline>motivation and confidence

Look into the GAPS diet, too.

Right on. It worked for me and it’s the same thing I tell others. You just gotta do it.

I'm going to risk it and introduce to you a strange idea I picked up from a philosopher Peter Wilberg. Unknown as a writer. In his essays he spoke that depression is a spiritual crisis by which the deeper knowing of self laying deep in the body is trying to call the person, to call him out of his prison which is his mind. Depression is an attempt by the body to lead the conscious awareness away from the head into the body specially to the belly where the center of gravity lies. The point is that depression has a message for you and until you choose that message and become it you will never be the person you want to be because being is a form of inner listening. By simple deep and aware belly breathing and observing the body you can develop this inner listening or knowledge. Hope it made some sense.

So accurate. I'm in this situation right now. You actually made me think, thank you. I'm not an "artist" but I'm a software engineer and I have projects I want to build (personnally and in the company I work in) I generally tend to push myself to keep creating when I'm low. However, something made me say to myself lately "how about you take a break from coding when you feel really low". I actually believe that's what I'll do more. Why? Because like you just said, it can be problematic to work at 5% of your abilities. Last day at work I wanted to explain a technical problem about a thing I worked in, and I just couldn't explain it, I had a little panick attack in front of my colleagues (they were just 2) because I couldnt concentrate and make sense. That was so cringy. I was like "...and...euuuuh....no...euuuh..." for several minutes. I said "ok let me do it again" and I ended up explaining it ok. But I felt like crap. I really believe if I just had take a full break the day before, and if I just accepted on the morning "I'll make a very resumed explanation of this problem for now", it would have been great. "I'll only practice this thing I love which is programming when I feel I'm not in too much a depressive state. Else, it will make me love this thing I'm passionated about less, and I'll associate my performance with my performance in depressed mode " However, I feel like I still can learn even when feeling depressed. It's being creative that is hard

I tried to "get good" by following negative thoughts about myself and my work, it led me to giving up. I want to create without constantly thinking about others' opinion so much

Totally, thank you.

Sounds like ADHD to me….

Completely agree. Therapy works wonders for some and puts them in the perfect place to feel like work is worth doing. Same thing for meds with some people.

Yes, I didn't want that line to be missread as "therapy is pointless", when he actually just found his own solution (transcendental meditation). The point was more that he had a reason for going in the first place, and with a method that helped him overcome that struggle he went on with life. The fact that that method for him wasn't therapy is kind of not relevant.

@@KaipitainKai For sure. I'm wary of TM though because of how cult like some of it's providers/facilitators can be. People get weird when they think they found 'The answer' (Trade marked fully of course) But independent practice (meaning: don't pay for it) I'm all for if it helps. Same with any other mind observation/attention practice.

@@cryo115 there's definitely something to be said about many approaches to wellness, and while you could probably chalk up some of them to placebo or as you said cults of personality, i think the broader issue is perhaps overcommodifying them rather than the core goal of finding something that works for you. in any case, creativity and art are irrefutably therapeutic, and i'm always in favor of maximizing people's ability to pursue them.

@@Lanooski I would go so far as to say that TM "as a cult" probably works too and not just as a placebo. But it brings problems with it.

I doubt the likelihood of me seeing this comment was high a few hours ago but I'm so glad I read this

i wish i could have a spiritual journey like that

Yeah suffering plays a huge part, I disagree with the statement that Van Gogh didn’t need to suffer.

Hope you are happy now that you found proof in this video and can feel good about not doing anything

You just created an amazing comment.

@@echoptic775 go tell this to someone who has locked in syndrome. I'm not trying to give credit to the idea of comforting in your suffering or not taking action, but certain things prevent you to do things you would want to do, and it's not just a matter of will, think about it.

@@dylanbelliard2379 do you have it? I doubt many do

@@bloatedsodium7301 🫂❤️

when art is your way of living and the way you take food to home is not an escape for suffering, believe me.

I was there. Even friendship can be depressing, see the depression the boat makes on the water, the friendships can’t feel their depression but it’s still there. Now I can walk on water. Looking back, I think my mistake was forming expectations. I held on to my expectations even though each day I woke up, I knew the truth. I’d be elevated by the false expectation and pulled back down by truth. I guess this happened all day long. Back then I didn’t know expectations are pretty much useless. I guess I had hundreds or thousands of them I’d created in conflict with truth. Now I use faith and develop a desire for things instead.

I will look for that, thanks

Also made into a film starring Richard E. Grant.

❤

I'm curious as to why they used the twin peaks theme

RIP Angelo Badalamenti.

@@barbarakirk3064 truly, Power & Paradise

It's not controversial my friend, whoever think it is, just doesn't know what is like to live in that way

I am surrounded by a toxic family and I have been thinking about how to get out for days...

@@SuperMrBlaze Find a job and get out, if you're not a minor of course. If what you mean is that you need a psycological help then go to a Psychoanalysts that can follow you and help you step by step. Otherwise, if you have a friend that can hosts you, go for it. Wish you the best

@@kaiko70 It is quite a complicated matter and I am no longer minor but thanks for your help!

@@SuperMrBlaze I absolutelly believe you when you say it's complicated, it always is, it wasn't my intention to make it look easy. So, i really suggest you a Psychoanalysts, so you can explain everything to him/her and they can give you a better guidance than what i can possibly could. Hope i've helped you

I hate to break this to you but it's only been 4 minutes and 26 seconds.

Guts pfp checks out. Stay strong fellow struggler

U trapped me

Maybe I have anxiety issues and not depression. I don't know but my head is messed up too a lot of the time. I just keep going for pointless walks in my neighbourhood all the time to get through the day/night.

why does it Rob you of expression

Hope you are doing good.

@@frantisekrebec3241 it's a neverending journey xd

@@bozdra Life is so hard, but there are moments that make up for the suffering.

You might like the channel Therapy in a Nutshell (free advice and tools) or Dr Gabor Mate (authenticity v acceptance, self compassion etc) if you haven't found them already. Tim Ferriss also has advice, but I sometimes find his suggestions are very much based on routines and discipline.

Wow you must be on the mend having found the energy to text.

I get mad when people say I'm 'not really depressed'