Eric Maisel "The Van Gogh Blues"

An excellent book on why creative people are more prone to depression and the path out of such depressive states. The author's central premise is that creative people are more prone to asking about life's meaning and the meaning of their work. For creators loss of meaning and doubts about life's meaningfulness are persistent demons to be wrestled with. The inability to find and sustain meaning in one's life and one's work often induces anxiety, boredom and ultimately if not controlled spirals down into depression. The author suggests a few ways to "force life to mean" and how to remain engaged with life while fighting the temptation to give up and label one's efforts and therefore one's life as meaningless. His suggestions include:

1. Develop a personal creed that combines both your principles and passion. This can be made up of core principles or it can be an intuitive guidance system - one connected to your intuitive wisdom when confronted with a loss of meaning.

2. Record the answer to these three questions - (a) what it means to live a meaningful life; (b) engage in meaningful work; and (c) spend time in a meaningful way.

3. Create a LIfe Plan for a year that combines and balances the answers set out n 2. This flow from the Personal Creed but should not be too abstract. Eg. I intend to write powerfully and truthfully in my blog once a week.

4. Identify and dispute negative self-talk that mocks your hardwork and discipline by constantly checking and asking Where is All this Going? When confronted with this mocking voice be firm in refuting it and replacing it with a positive and supportive self-talk. A creator must STOP pestering himself with unanswerable questions relating to meaning of life.

5. Opt to Matter. Constantly be on the look out to activate your passion, enthusiasm and life force. Be your own power/energy generator. Take charge of the present moment and stop brooding about meaninglessness.

6. Brave Anxiety. Many artists get caught in the destructive cycle of threatening thought-anxious reaction-full retreat. Many creators don't fully understand how anxiety puts a fatal brake on their work. As a result they feel weak and unproductive and this is a short step away from powerlessness, eroded self-esteem and depression.

7. Confronting Narcissism. Unhealthy narcissism prevents creators from forging intimate loving relationships. Without such a relationship or a life void of a loving partner it is very difficult to find and sustain meaning in one's life. Every artist has a mix of healthy and unhealthy narcissism. Unhealthy narcissism has a certain extreme self-absorbed quality where relationships tend to incline towards the brief and dramatic, where intimacy brings rage rather than love and where the artist tends to fire friends or lovers. Unhealthy narcissists tend to approach people as objects to be used and discarded according to their needs. The author sets out 8 helpful ways in which you can tip the scales towards a healthy narcissism that gives you a true shot at authentic intimate relationships.

8. Nurture Self Support. As a creator you decide that the beauty in your life will reside in your painting, writings etc. But this is a dangerous thing. If you don't call and relate to yourself as the beauty in life, despair will follow as you tie your self-worth to factors entirely outside your control (commercial success of your work). You fight your fear of making mistakes or creating bad work by whispering "I am the beauty in life." By this you comfort and assure yourself whenever you meet a disappointment or failure. You rush to support and soothe yourself without throwing your hands up in despair and saying life has no meaning.

9. Release Addiction. Addiction is a meaning problem or an attempt to deal with a meaning crisis in an artist's life. Drinking, drugs etc gives a temporary high and numbs the pain arising from loss of meaning. Obsessive compulsive behaviors and rituals like tarot reading etc are other forms of addiction. As opposed to confronting the problem we distract ourselves with a whole host of other substitute behaviors. Get rid of these "happy" bondage and get back to the habit of creating and promoting your work.