What is our potential when trauma doesn't cloud the creative process?
Aaron Corte LMSW
A few years ago I began studying the relationship between trauma and creativity, and encountered something surprising. Despite a longstanding view that artists struggle with mental health, I noticed this was hardly explored in my field. How much of this stereotype is myth? How much is true? I began exploring these questions, and not just for artists, but all highly-creative people.
The process of making something new is miraculous. And yet, creativity is full of mixed messages. Many people admire creative success, while also viewing the pursuit of creativity as impractical. Creativity can support our mental health, or do great damage to it. The more I researched this, the more contradictions I encountered. All this noise reminded me of my experiences as a young musician. That had felt like navigating an ocean.
My research eventually led me to begin training therapists on how to best work with highly-creative populations. And in the process, I also noticed changes in my own creative life. I encountered a stability that had often eluded me in the past: a healthier relationship with my work, security in my creative identity, and a self-worth that allowed me to take creative risks. My guitar on the wall no longer glared at me, and creative joy became more sustainable.
Thoughtful creativity is more important than ever. We desperately need art and stories that drive us forward, technology that is heart-led, business that is innovative. This means finally going beyond the old stereotypes of the “tortured artist” in order to truly understand how the creative path impacts mental health. I’ve seen the toll that a highly creative life takes on a person, I’ve lived it.
I believe in a future where we take better care of the creators that help make our world meaningful.
