Art and Mental Health

Cody Schultz

Although it was not until 2014 when I bought my first “professional” camera, I believe a part of me has always loved photography. I remember constantly taking pictures around the house, of my family, of our vacations, and especially of Jazmine, my family’s dog. At first, I had thought that landscape photography was boring, not understanding why someone would want to wait hours on end in a single location, just to end up going home empty-handed. Yet in 2016, I found myself doing exactly that. I found myself going on long hikes with my girlfriend, sweating and panting as we walked up steep hills to various waterfalls, often coming home only to realize that none of the photographs I took were portfolio-worthy. The memories shared, however, made it so much more worthwhile than any photograph ever could. And that, I truly believe, is why landscape photography is so special.

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Please note, This post discusses mental health issues.

Painting is no problem. The problem is what to do when you're not painting. ~ Jackson Pollock

At the age of 27, Vincent van Gogh penned a letter to his brother, Theo, which read: "My only anxiety is, how can I be of use in the world?" Ten years later, after creating a multitude of stunning paintings (including Starry Night), while in a mental hospital, he took his life.

Roughly three years later, Edvard Munch had a mental breakdown whilst walking with two of his friends along the road. He described the sky as suddenly turning into blood and feeling a sense of melancholy, quickly becoming dead tired. While his friends went on though, he stood still, "frightened with an open wound in [his] breast," Munch felt a "great scream pierce through nature." It was not long before he painted his most famous piece, The Scream.