There is perhaps no archetype more persistent throughout the history of art and literature than that of the tortured artist. From the tragically real cases (like Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, and David Foster Wallace), to self-conscious poseurs (who shall remain nameless), angst-filled writers in both fiction and real life are an enduring staple in culture.
Is there something to it? Is there a link between creativity and the darker sides of life? Does angst help you write?
For me, I can’t get a lick done when I’m feeling down. But then again, my books involve corn dogs and space monkeys.
What about you?
Juice in LA says
Throw me onto Team "Happy Writer", I write when I am feeling good and have no distractions. Although sometimes an inspiring topic can pull me out of a funk.
Its like they say in the book of Ellie: "Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy , and happy people don;t kill their husbands, they just don't."
probably works for corn dogs too!
Sara says
I think it has kept me writing. My mental health is much better if I'm writing, no matter what the story is. I would have quit years ago otherwise.
That said, I find I need a stable secure life to do good work and finish projects. I never could experience emotional storms and write well at the same time, I just had to save them up as material for later. I'm with Flaubert: "be regular and orderly in your life like a bourgeois [and he hated them], so that you may be violent and original in your work".
Remus Shepherd says
Not sure that you would call it angst, but I am powered by anger. Anger about my childhood, my relationships, the (non-writing) career I chose, etc. I turn that anger into energy that fuels my creative projects.
I'm seldom what you'd call 'down'. But I'm often 'seething', and it's at those times I am most creative.
JES says
I anguish quite a bit over whatever I'm working on. But I can't afford to do so over the circumstances of my life — either its general arc, or the specifics of the everyday (like "Once again the radiator in my drafty garret is not working! O woe is me!"). If I've done this, when I later read back over those passages, invariably they will reek with the characters' self-absorbed POVs. Showing goes right out the window.
Karen C says
I don't know if angst makes me write better, but it got me to start writing in the first place. I've got 3 wonderful kids with enough doctors to staff Hopkins and some fun learning disabilities thrown in so we don't get bored. Writing=cheaper than therapy (spent all the money already anyway)
A.C. Tidwell says
Not even a little. Sometimes writing really is the only option for me. Whether it is due to depression or angst, I write through the follies of life. But I don't write well during these periods. Honestly, I have a tinge of A.D.D. so I must mentally prep for writing, but isolating everything else out. Having my mind in the right place is just as important as having the right tool when cooking.
salima says
i actually really like this post, because i think as harmless as the sentiment can seem on the surface, the notion that you have to be deeply depressed to be creative does a whole lot of damage, particularly to young people. i think it's more accurate to say you have to be perceptive to be creative (and that of course to perceive can often make you sad), but that you can be a balanced person, experience the full spectrum of emotion, and that this makes the most personally fulfilled artists—people who are capable of evolving and whose art reflects motion rather than stasis. thanks for bringing this up nathan!
patlaff says
Angst spurred the overall story arc for the third novel I wrote and it sparked some great little scenes, but actually writing the damned thing required a much more level head.
llburk says
Angst – No.
A little Crown and Coke – Yes
Sara Murphy says
I bowl great when I'm full of angst, but I couldn't write two coherent sentences if my life depended on it. I need a calm, peaceful place in which to write. I can’t write while moving either. As a passenger in a car or plane, I can’t come up with anything. Tweeting on the move is beyond me.
reader says
I do think there's something about David Foster Wallace's particular type of genius and the way his brain worked, or sometimes didn't. I mean, he practically created a new way of writing, so specific to him and him alone. I doubt it will ever be equalled.
Also, there's a reason I don't read chic lit — if something's "too happy" it doesn't feel real to me, but feels like something I like to call a Stepford Book. You can read it but never really escape into it because it doesn't resonate. Characters that come alive are multi-dimensional, and therefore have some angst, some regrets, some faults. And I think in order to create that, you, as a writer also have to have at least a bit of that in your own life.
Dawn Pier says
I believe that there are two levels of emotion that fuel my writing. At a deeper, more persistent level is the angst that got me writing in the first place. It is a nagging anxiety that stems from a desire for my life to have meaning and purpose. I believe that writing helps to fulfill that purpose and therefore, when I am actively writing the anxiety is subjugated by the specific emotions necessary to write whatever it is I am working on. But the angst is always there, humming under the surface like a little motor that energizes and drives the writing. If I'm not writing, it begins to whir out of control until the buzzing drives me back to the page.
Ulysses says
Angst helps me write long, involved, introspective passages that are the equivalent of weeping ink onto the page (okay, pixels onto the screen). The resulting prose is beautiful, sad, and heart-breaking. It is also overblown, overwritten and overindulgent.
I suppose it helps me write, but it doesn't help me write well. I usually delete those bits and wait to write about being miserable when I'm in a better mood.
The irony. It isn't just for pressing pants anymore.
Anonymous says
not much for writing if the mood is too low. i need to be energised to be creative.
Maurice Broaddus says
i'm afraid i'm a living cliche. if i don't have angst to exorcize in my work, it feels passionless to me.
then again, my fiction has always been an outlet for me (read: cheap therapy).
ilyakogan says
When I started working on my current novel my father was dying from cancer. Half through it he died. I put it away for two years and only now finished it. So my answer is yes and no. Some angst helps you create. Too much angst and it consumes you and there is no energy left for anything else.
flibgibbet says
Emotional experiences give you something to write about. If you've never experienced certain states of mind, how can your characters experience them convincingly?
But I don't believe anyone creates anything intelligent when they're in the middle of a meltdown; they write about it afterwards once they've had a chance to mull it over and translate it into the more universal. (Otherwise, isn't it just navel gazing?)
I do find the myth itself insulting, though. I began my career as a fine-artist, and have been told innumerable times, "You can't be an artist, you're too normal", as if it was a job requirement. Or maybe if I was kookier, I'd be more legitimate?
I do tend to believe that most artists are thinkers, though. And most gratified when they're working on a project. Not everybody is wired to spend so much time alone with only their thoughts as company. Perhaps that's why non-artists think the bunch of us are angsty, brooding-types.
K. E. Carson says
No, angst does not help me write. If I'm really upset or really angry, I can't sit down to write. I think my past experiences of angst and drama help me write, since I am a YA author and people kind of expect the drama and angst in my books, but while I'm upset? Never.
Anonymous says
Well said, flibgibbet! (Hehe… I giggled when I wrote your name).
Thomas Taylor says
Help me? Angst makes me write!
Josin L. McQuein says
It helps me write snarky dialogue, but it's a hard space to get out of if you let it take over.
Carol Riggs says
Unless I'm really in a deep deep funk, heck, I can write anytime. 🙂 It's a good escape, and/or it gets good emotion into the manuscript. Angst doesn't work in the middle of a lighthearted scene, though!
swampfox says
I'm almost always writing with angst. It's what happens when you have two sons constantly at each others' throats, an aging mother-in-law who doesn't speak any English and rattling off constant diatribes in Spanish of which I can't understand a single word, and a wife who comes home and the first thing she says is "Gawddamm, are you writing that stupid book again?"
Aidan Ryan says
Angst does help me write, but only for certain kinds of writing. Angst gets old after a little while. Then again, I am 17, so angst is kind of my thing.
Marilyn Peake says
Angst and sadness don’t help me write at all – both tend to block my finding the best words to write, actually. On the other hand, restless creative drive – which kind of feels like angst at times – constantly pulls me back to writing and keeps me sitting in my chair for very long hours.
MJR says
I don't write when I'm feeling blue. Lately I've found that I've been writing best on my netbook on long car trips, while my husband drives, and we listen to oldies…so I guess it helps if I have few distractions and am feeling relaxed–and a bit nostalgic?
laura marie says
I don't know that angst helps me write, but I know that a certain melancholy mood can sometimes still my mind enough to let creative thoughts bounce in. Such an interesting idea though!
Melody says
The more depressed I am, the worse my writing is in both enjoyment and quality. However, writing can pull me out of a depression…
Ishta Mercurio says
No. Angst does not help me write, except in the sense that I know that if I just get my butt in the chair and write something, it will make me feel better. But when I'm feeling angsty, I do not have the drive to write.
I do think, however, that the archetype (stereotype?) of the angst-ridden artist/writer stems from the fact that we have chosen to earn our living pouring our hearts into the creation of things that, most often, the majority of people will probably not want. We face a lot of rejection, and I think that lends itself to a higher proportion of angst among writers and artists than among other people.
Ronnie says
This goes hand in hand with the myth that drugs aid some artists in the creative process. I call BS.
Kristin Laughtin says
Not as much as I would have expected at one point. There was one angsty period in my life where I got a lot done on my novel, but that was because it gave me something else to focus on besides my personal woes. This is usually not the case, though; angst usually distracts me from doing anything else. I had to break some bad news about one friend to another friend last night, and my mind was shot for the evening. I was able to write a little bit, and was nearing my quota when I had to deal with the issue again, but it was not my best writing. It felt rather mediocre and uninspired, and I'm sure I'll wonder why I kept repeating myself once I look it over for revisions.
jesse says
Liv B, the neuroscientist/writer, posted a tweet the other day about this issue. To paraphrase, there IS a link between creativity and depression, something in the dopamine uptakes…
Lori Benton says
Does angst help you write?
No. It totally distracts me, drains my energy, and kills my creativity.
Nina says
I have no trouble writing, as long as my house is tidy!
That being said, my best stories have come from those times I have been at my worst. These are the events I draw inspiration from. The people I meet, mostly the bad ones, are usually the protagonists in my stories. They're bastards and only exist to make your life hell. My MC's aren't really very joyful at all, because lets face it; Nobody wants to read about happy people!
Kathleen says
Anger, for me, is counterproductive, but a little bit of depression for some reason is a huge motivator for my writing. I think it is because it is preferable to be in their world, at least temporarily, rather than my own if I am down in the dumps. Nine times out of ten my mood lifts considerably after a little writing so it's also somewhat therapeutic.
Rick Daley says
It's a mix for me. For a current WIP, I wrote an emotional climax scene late in the evening while I was in a state of deep angst. The next day I dreaded reading the section back, but was surprised to find out that I had funneled my angst directly into the characters and the story without making it personal.
Of course there are plenty of times when I just drop an f-bomb and walk away from my laptop and question the whole intent of writing and storytelling to begin with.
Here's an awesome TED speech by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of EAT, PRAY, LOVE) that touches on the subjects of inspiration and angst:
https://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
SSB says
I have to look on the bright side and inflict a little humor even if I am writing. or living, something dark.
If I allow myself to get depressed, I become paralyzed.
Angelia Lynn Schultz says
I find that it's not the angst that helps in the actual writing…It's the angst that feeds the story, gives it its depth and human understanding of suffering of some sort.
I love corn dogs. But I don't write about them. 😉
abc says
OH LAWD! I think angst absolutely helps you write, or be more creative, or whatever. And sometimes it can paralyze you. When I've been my most angsty (see: the twenties), I've felt more than ever the burning fire to create.
And now that I'm more calm, I'd like to think that I may not have the burning fire as much, but I have the experience and the knowledge to make something more meaningful. At least to me. Not the story of a girl who feels lost, but the story of a girl that gets lost and finds her way.
Oh, was that cheesy? sorry.
on the other hand, there is people like my husband. His angst turns him into a procrastinating self loather. He wants to create, but he worries that what he creates will never be good enough.
Interestingly, Dear Sugar addressed this issue–sort of–in a recent column. I recommend her words. Plus, she's an awesome writer!
https://tiny.cc/7rp9o
Anonymous says
Angst drives me to write. It's essential. I write to relieve the pressure in my head. That said, I agree with previous comments: angst gives you material and maybe drive, but if you're too overwhelmed you can't write well. You can't do anything well. You have to get your head above water again to put your angst to good use. I love the quote from the film "Heat" with AL Pacino as Vincent Hannah: "I gotta hold on to my angst. I preserve it because I need it. It keeps me sharp, on the edge, where I gotta be." You have to see the scene in your head–leaning back in the chair, sunken cheeks,snapping his fingers. That's how I feel. Keep it close but don't let it eat you alive.
Dominique says
I don't think I've ever tried writing while feeling deep and angsty, but I'm sure if I did, all my prose would come out angsty, which would just make me change them later. My current WIP isn't exactly kittens and moonbeams, but I don't think angst lends itself to producing the story's voice either.
Anonymous says
Angst drives me to write. It's essential. I write to relieve the pressure in my head. That said, I agree with previous comments: angst gives you material and maybe drive, but if you're too overwhelmed you can't write well. You can't do anything well. You have to get your head above water again to put your angst to good use. I love the quote from the film "Heat" with AL Pacino as Vincent Hannah: "I gotta hold on to my angst. I preserve it because I need it. It keeps me sharp, on the edge, where I gotta be." You have to see the scene in your head–leaning back in the chair, sunken cheeks,snapping his fingers. That's how I feel. Keep it close but don't let it eat you alive.
Anonymous says
Angst drives me to write. It's essential. I write to relieve the pressure in my head. That said, I agree with previous comments: angst gives you material and maybe drive, but if you're too overwhelmed you can't write well. You can't do anything well. You have to get your head above water again to put your angst to good use. I love the quote from the film "Heat" with AL Pacino as Vincent Hannah: "I gotta hold on to my angst. I preserve it because I need it. It keeps me sharp, on the edge, where I gotta be." You have to see the scene in your head–leaning back in the chair, sunken cheeks,snapping his fingers. That's how I feel. Keep it close but don't let it eat you alive.
Anonymous says
Crud. Anonymous here. Didn't mean to post that three times. I thought it hadn't worked. Don't see how to delete extra posts.
Lisa Guill says
If I am depressed or upset about something, I can't write a thing; however, if I am angry and feeling a bit snarky, the words just start flowing and I find I am at my most creative.
Stephanie Faris says
Not me. I seem to write best when life is stable. Boredom is good for my creativity!
Writergirl says
Like some others I think that past angst can be helpful for future writing but I can't write a word if my mood is low.
Elizabeth says
Angst is key to the writing process, as is exhaustion, irrational overconfidence and bliss. I try to write regularly, regardless of my mood. (I'm a very moody person.)
This quote by Gloria Steinem helps me focus: "Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else."
lora96 says
Nah. If I'm preoccupied about something upsetting, I am useless in the realm of creativity.
This is not to say that I can't write after having a bad day, only that angst and cataclysm are not conducive to my process.
Kristi Helvig says
Most of the comments here adequately convey my feelings about the subject, so I'll just add one thing. Space monkeys rule! 🙂