Posted by Edward on August 6, 2001, at 14:28:10
In reply to Art and depression, posted by Mickey on August 6, 2001, at 8:58:02
> I am curious if there are any people out there involved in the arts who have had similar experiences and would like to know if anti-depressants have helped get them back on track. Many people believe that art is a form of therapy but I don't think it works that way for someone who's art is their career.
Time for me to wallow in self pity.
I used to love music. Listening; writing; playing; recording. I used to experience periods of overwhelming sadness which would inspire me to write. I could never write well when I was happy, but I could never appreciate what I had done when I was sad. Now the sadness has turning into greyness, and the happiness has gone. I barely play my guitar anymore, and my attempts to learn the piano have nearly been killed off by boredom. Music sounds unemotional to me now. I haven't written any more than a few bars of anything in over a year now. I can't find the enthusiasm anymore.
Music helped me cope with depression, or whatever it is that I am experiencing, by making the sadness into something beautiful. Tchaikovsky in particular awoke a wonderful sensation of cartharsis in me. Now, in my worse moods, it sounds like frustrating noise.
Music was the only thing in my life beyond my close family that I truly cared about. Now I feel as if it has been taken from me, left me with nothing...
I could go on, but I think I've got it out of my system for now.
poster:Edward
thread:73757
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010804/msgs/73818.html