talent = depression?
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Category: Topics not related to music
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Topic: talent = depression?
Posted By: yoel?
Subject: talent = depression?
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 17:02
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I realise that not every talented musician is depressed, but a huge percentage are
i think there is a higher percentage of people depressed in the music industry than any other career [dont ask me to quote the statistics]
I was just wondering why, I mean I would be beyond ecstatic to hold a fraction of the talent that some of these people hold, i know its about more than music, but what is it about this particular career?
some of the most obvious depressed/used to be depressed musicians are/were kurt cobain, trent reznor, john frusciante, beethoven, robert plant was for a short time [understandable considering his wife and child died] and about a million others
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Replies:
Posted By: electricsilence
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 17:38
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There is a great Arthur C. Clarke novel called "Childhood's end", which inspired the lyrics for Watcher of the Skies and the album cover of Houses of the Holy. In it a race of superior aliens guides humanity into it's next stage; somewhere around the middle of the book Clarke hypothetises (does this word exist?) that art is just a way for ill humans to express their angst and disillusion, and that is why the superior race of aliens did not appreciate music or any other form of art, because with them being superior, their "soul" did not had the missing pieces the human soul has, so music was just a random variation of air pressure to them. I don't know how much I personally agree with this, but it is an interesting idea nonetheless. |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 17:50
Talking for myself - I'm a melancholy man by nature, hence I'm always kinda sad 
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Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 18:29
| There is a saying "a misplaced childhood is a writer's goldmine", perhaps we could change this into "a misplaced childhood is a musician's goldmine", just read the biographies about the troubled childhoods of Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Ozzy Osbourne, Freddy Mercury, David Bowie, Fish .... it inspired them to deliver very emotional and compelling music! |
Posted By: IVNORD
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 19:38
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yoel? wrote:Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 19:39
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the Marillion radar's going nuts right now yeah I'm a musician and I'm prone to depression (sans the talent) but I've noticed a lot of masterworks have been written in the lowest depths of depression, including (don't kill me for this) The Wall (which for me is at Roger Waters' LYRICAL peak, musically....eh) and Trent Reznors/NIN's "The Downward Spiral" ------------- 
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Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 10:30
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Musicians (and artists of all kinds in general) seem to be more sensitive than regular Joes and, therefore, more prone to being affected by the sadness and injustices of this world that exist all around them. Having said that, they are also the most fun and interesting people to be around, as well. ------------- "Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain |
Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 10:38
| When you're above, it's hard to connect with what's below, y'know? |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 10:39
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I always saw it as the inability.. no matter how much the public might
like it... to fully express themselves to an artists exacting
demands. Artists never feel like they have perfevcting anything..
those that do.. never really were trying to Just the downside for
the ultra-creative I guess.
------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: asimplemistake
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 11:42
| I learned in an educational video last year that people with Depression (there was a certain type too) are more likely than any other type of person to be artistically inclined. I personally am a very happy person all of the time, except I like to reflect a lot on what has happened and what is happening, so I'm hyper/melancholic a lot. |
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 11:43
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Well Yoel, it may not be a matter of being depressed, rather a matter of allowing your emotions to control (the better part of) your life. That's not restricted to musicians, but to people in artistic lines of work in general. I often wonder how it's possible that so many people in my line of work (systems and software engineering) show so little emotion (except uncontrolled anger in some cases) and actually seem to block emotion out of their lives in favour of ratio. Luckily, I discover more and more people who are trying to mix in more emotions. The downside of allowing your emotions to take control is of course what we've seen happen to people like Curt Cobain, Vincent van Gogh and similar examples through the ages. An interesting issue to bring up here, by the way.  ------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: Kid-A
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 11:49
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I personally think intelligence is linked to depression. The more intelligent you are, the more you see what is wrong with the world, and that makes you depressed. Ignorance is bliss.
I think talent can be a result of depression. These guys can use their instruments as an outlet to express themselves. Expressing yourself is a very difficult thing to do with depression. ------------- 
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Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 11:56
------------- Signature Writers Guild on strike |
Posted By: The Lost Chord
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 13:35
I would have to say I have thought that often, but he is not saying talent here, but intelligence. That is the key difference. I totally agree with what you said, basing that thought on "intelligence" which does not fully constitute "talent".
Well, I for one would say I am a very talented musician, my brother an artist, and my sister a culmination of alot...we are all talented and very happy.
But my "intelligence" gets the best of me, sometimes. I do feel crappy at times, but rising above it is part of the intelligent factor, but the feeling crappy is because of it as well....and it is alot of things; Not connecting with other people, seeing the worlds ills ofcourse, seeing things in different light.
But talent breeding depression or depression breeding talent is all relative. This is not something you can measure, but it certainly has an effect. I write better music when I am sad I would say.
Intelligence is a different argument, thats all. -------------  "Only the sun knew why"
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Posted By: Kid-A
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 13:38
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Posted By: yoel?
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 13:41
thankyou
 yours is probably the most interesting answer so far as it goes
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 13:43
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I dont think its necessarily the fact that they are depressed its that they use the music, or whateve rfor of art they ar in, to express what they are feeling. After all, we all get pklenty of times everythings not alright and dont always have an outlet for it. Also, the sad things in life,and the things we just dont agree with tend to make for more interesting subject matter than stories about how everything is OK.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 14:13
I'd never stopped and thought about it before, but many years ago when I was involved in a lot of software development, I became very withdrawn and insular while at work, then flipped a complete 180º in my social life. Someone who knew me well in both situations remarked that I was like two different people. Which was fine until it broke
 .I have since learnt to balance that a little (forcing myself to leave the building at luchtimes helps) and I have noticed that the engineer I share an office with behaves in much the same way. (In the middle of some projects however, we are so engroused with our own work that we still go days without speaking more than the usual daily pleasantries to each other)
I think that many "talented" people become very focussed, to the point of obsession and to the exclusion of everything else. Later, when they surface, they discover that the world has moved on without them and only then notice how issolated they have become.
On the other hand, there are hundreds of talented people who have been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, including Devin Townsend and Jeff Buckley: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_affected_by_bipolar_disorder - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_affected_by_bipolar_disorder
------------- What? |
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 19:36
Thanks in return - but on to the person who beat me in that area...
That's spot-on what I was referring to, Dean. I've worked with people who were so focussed in that line of business, that a simple question about a customer request led to an answer in C++, or whatever programming language they were working with. Apart from that, they were completely locked up. And, if I hadn't had a great girlfriend then and a wife now, as well as a healthy interest in sports and music, I probably would've ended up the same. That 180º flip worked for me as well. Funny side of it is that people I still work with consider me a 'networking expert' and a 'walking library', while all I do is make sure I communicate with people rather than locking myself out. As for the bipolar disorder - that's a less (or non-)voluntary, but I agree quite common among the artistic, version of what I meant with allow your emotions to control of a part of your life. ------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: October 28 2007 at 16:49
| I find my lack of talent quite depressing.. |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: October 29 2007 at 13:49
 <<<<me my audience>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>
 >>>>>>>
  ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: October 29 2007 at 15:22
Well, I'll give you a round of applause.. 
Feel better? 
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Posted By: Neil
Date Posted: October 29 2007 at 17:13
I do tend to agree with this; well part one anyway. People with a more creative imagination and agile mind are often more prone to depression as they tend to be able to run scenarios through to conclusion in their own heads. Since an awful lot of scenarios are far from ideal and lead to the conclusion that life is futile and pointless then depression can be the result. Musicians and artists often have a lot of time alone being creative or just thinking which can be a boon but can also, if coupled to my previous paragraph, be a curse.
Perhaps ignorance is truly bliss.  ------------- When people get lost in thought it's often because it's unfamiliar territory. |
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: October 29 2007 at 17:29
I do agree with this, that is why I am not ashamed of the flaws that I have. It is our imperfections that provide inspiration to create and improve. As Freud theorized there would be no art without opression; the same goes for depression and our flaws. -------------  
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Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: October 30 2007 at 00:14
Not really. But then I didn't feel so bad anyway.
But full marks for the gesture.
Thanks. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow"> https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |