While Van Gogh is hands down one of the most well known artists of all time, can you share with me why he is so famous? Maybe because of his painting Starry Night. Perhaps you know his work by the gorgeous, vibrant paint application. Or, you may know Van Gogh by hearing the story of him cutting off his own ear during a mental breakdown.
Chances are, if you head of Van Gogh, you have heard that he is one of the few artists talked about for his mood disorder which doctors post mortem diagnoses as having Bipolar Disorder. While I respect Van Gogh for being a pivotal artist, my deep frustration with him does not come from him, it comes from our society’s view of him and his mood disorder.
Google “Artists Bipolar Disorder”. Go ahead! I will wait for you. Along with some great medical articles, you also get lists of celebrities who have BD, and the infamous list of three white, deceased men who changed the world of art who are also in question of having mental health issues. While these men are pivotal members of the artist community, I am dying to see more regular people who create art as a coping skill.
Being a blonde, white woman in my mid thirties you may think “Lyndsay, you see people like yourself everyday!” While this is true for my physical appearance , finding folks with mood disorders openly sharing their struggles and challenges in the media is kind-or unheard of. My few run-in’s with folks in the media with BD come with a TON of stigma, mostly stigma that comes from non mood disorder people who think they know what it means. Movies, Katy Perry songs, people using Bipolar as an adjective to describe inanimate objects…I think it is past disappointing. It’s past the offensive, soul crushing energy it used to bring me for many years. I have come to accept that stigma is real and has the power to destroy lives. Dramatic, yes but unless you live with and experience a mental health disorder, you will never know how hard society makes it to live our lives. Let’s bring it back to Van Gogh.
Ask non artist people what they have heard about him and it’s mostly “He is the guy who cut off his ear, right? He was crazy.” So, that one moment of Van Gogh having a mental struggle became his legacy. That is sad. Just sad. And what’s more disappointing is that people laugh and continue to judge while this poor man is probably rolling in his grave hearing all that negativity towards him. There was so much more to him than that one decision.
With knowing the judgement and discrimination that comes along with having a mood disorder, why in the world would anyone want to openly talk about it?! Why would people become vulnerable to their personal struggles and want to have deep meaningful conversations with the world about it, to educate others about it? Sitting here behind my computer screen typing this blog is exactly why. The world needs to know more about mental health wellness PERIOD. It is not exclusive to just Bipolar Disorder. I talk about it because I know it. And, I am hoping that with more encouragement, more support, empathy, and kindness, we can slowly start to eliminate that soul crushing stigma. For my sake, for Van Gogh’s sake, and for the millions of kiddos out there who endure shaming’s sake, educate yourself and become an advocate for us. We need you!
Photo Credit- Photo: Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images
Mood & Magic 