Myth #4: Artists Have Demons

Coming to Terms with Rejection

Here’s the most common dilemma. An artist wants more exposure, but fears rejection. Rejection in the past, especially in terms of his artwork, may have included an extra sting because his self esteem has been, for so long, directly connected to his artwork. Reject his artwork and you reject the reflection of who the artist feels he is as a person. Even a small comment may send the artist into a tailspin resulting in depression, anger, or ennui. Then, when all is said and done, a comment like, “Why do you have to be so sensitive?” comes along and now the artist feels like he’s walking around with his skin on inside out.

Businesses obviously don’t view their “work” this way. If they did, the shelves in our stores would probably be pretty bare. Can you imagine the Budweiser distributor falling into the fetal position every time a convenience store owner decided not to carry his product? Businesses view their work as a product or a unit with a price tag. Products can be plugged into a spreadsheet. Products can be rung up on a cash register. Simply speaking, the number of units sold minus the cost of creating the unit equals the amount of money the business gets to take home. The business has no risk connected to the “self.” Their product isn’t an extension of anyone. There’s no anxiety at the cash register in the convenience store when you choose a can of Pepsi over a can of Coke or a pack of Doritos over a pack of Fritos.

Traditionally, this typical struggle of the artist is viewed as a psychological hurdle - nothing a few therapy sessions wouldn’t cure. I’ve heard it suggested that this is a negative trait that needs to be eliminated. But, I disagree. Rather, I would say that it’s a noble trait that needs to be honored.

Artists aren’t broken. We don’t need to be fixed. Our sensitivity doesn’t need to be dulled down. The same sensitivity that allows us to create our work is the same sensitivity that allows us to feel such anxiety during business transactions

Myth #4: Artists Have Demons

In my documentary film, “Glow,” my father is interviewed in his art studio. He says, “A lot of people think it’s easy being an artist, but it’s not. Sometimes it’s a curse. I mean, it’s like you have a lot of demons inside of you that you have to fight with and sometimes they have a tendency to want to come out.” He then proceeds to put his arm around a life-size sculpture of a demon. 

Unless you make demons for horror movies as my father does, then the demons you may be contending with are all of your own doing. It doesn’t make them any less real, but what artists sometimes refer to as demons, are for all extensive purposes just unresolved issues that may be better worked out with a therapist. Everyone has them; artists just tend to link them together with their art.