The Artist’s Dilemma.

This blog is a slight deviation from the norm and focuses on a book I have recently read.

The book in question is called 'Art and Artist: Creative Urge and Personality Development' by the psychoanalyst Otto Rank published in 1932. A forerunner to the popular Rich Rubin literary hit... perhaps!

In the book he argues that the drive to create mirrors our personal conflict between individuality and belonging as we become adults. Artists, he wrote, are ‘strong-willed and resistant to external control, seeking to express themselves fully and completely. But they also depend on societal recognition to achieve glory and immortality through their art’. In a modern context perhaps, this could refer to the social media drive for more validation through likes etc.

The tension between staying true to one’s inner vision while also needing external validation lies at the heart of the artist’s struggle. In a way this is a bit like my ‘musicking continuum theory’ mentioned in other blogs. On one end we do it for the love of it, on the other we change ourselves to make money. Otto Rank believed that some artists give in to the temptation to conform and/or get lost in a fight against the world, bringing themselves down in the process.

However, 'productive' artists transcend this conflict by affirming their individuality, creating an ideal version of themselves, and expressing it through their art. The most successful manage to capture their audience’s imagination and persuade them to celebrate this vision with them. Call me a cynic but I’m not so sure, I believe this to be on a continuum. Are there really artists that never compromise? Really? Not one bit?

In the book he also argues that the act of creating art is an attempt to transcend mortality, embodying the creator's desire for both personal immortality and connection with others. A significant part of the book involves the concept of the "will," which he defines as an individual's conscious and autonomous force guiding their creative expressions and life choices.

Rank sees the will as an essential part of personal growth, particularly for artists who must navigate the paradoxical need to assert their individuality while also desiring approval from the external world. On one level we all have this will, this desire to create, and perhaps immortalise ourselves by making something that will outlive us. In a way we can actually transcend life’s limitations by making any art.

The book also describes how artists channel their difficulties and tensions into productive, symbolic forms, creating art that both reflects and transcends their inner conflicts. He states how artists have the ability to transform their anxieties into something that contributes to culture and society. A therapeutic or cathartic release that stands the test of time.

In all the book is an interesting yet somewhat dated take on the artistic pursuit and those who want to create, emphasising the duality of human existence: the need for autonomy and the longing for connection. Basically, making our own meaning and being with others.

This duality is supposedly the engine of not only creative expression but also psychological growth. Through musical art, individuals find a balance between expressing their unique vision and communicating with the broader world, which makes creativity central to both personal and cultural evolution. Not bad for a book written ‘back in the day’.

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Adam Ficek hosts a monthly show 'Tonic Music' on Totally Wired Radio, where he talks to various guests about music and mental health. You can listen again to any of the previous show on the Tonic Music Mixcloud page.