Anxiety and creativity: How they’re linked, tips to cope

The Cranky Creative explores the link between creative people and anxiety. Plus, tips for keeping the demons at bay.

I jolted awake, gasping for breath.

My heart was racing. My ears screamed. I felt a desperate urge to leap out of bed, leap out of my skin, and just run and run and run.

I was having an anxiety attack—the first of my life.

I didn’t know it then, but I had just boarded a one-way express elevator to Hell. It would be months before I would even begin to remember how “normal” felt again.

That was four years ago. Today, I better understand the link that creative people have to anxiety, and I’m amazed that I managed to avoid it myself for so long.

Anxiety gets the best of us

It’s long been said that creative people—artists, writers, singers, actors—are prone to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

And no wonder. History is full of famous examples:

• Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh suffered from frequent episodes of anxiety and depression. He famously cut off his ear following an argument with a friend and committed suicide two years later, in 1890.
• Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, painter of the “The Scream,” suffered from anxiety and hallucinations. He wrote in his diary: “My fear of life is necessary to me, as is my illness. They are indistinguishable from me, and their destruction would destroy my art.”
• Ernest Hemingway, who suffered from manic episodes, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1928. Mental illness ran in his family. His father, sister, brother, one of his sons, and his granddaughter all committed suicide.
• British writer Virginia Woolf drowned herself in a river in 1941. The suicide note to her husband read: “Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can’t go through another of those terrible times. And I shan’t recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can’t concentrate…”
• American poet Sylvia Platt attempted to take her life several times. She eventually succeeded in 1963, dying of carbon monoxide poisoning after putting her head in an oven.

Today, celebrities who battle anxiety and depression include Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Ellen Degeneres, Drew Barrymore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Joel, Brooke Shields, and Zack Braff.

Quite a list, eh?

Anxiety signs and symptoms

Before I run down anxiety’s long and varied list of symptoms, I think it’s important to acknowledge that feeling anxious on occasion is completely normal. We all get a little jumpy going to a job interview, or giving a big presentation, or after a fender-bender. It’s part of the “fight-or-flight” instinct that’s hard-wired into human beings to help us react to threats.

But anxiety becomes a problem when it doesn’t go away or becomes debilitating. When anxiety starts to affect life, work, sleep, health, or relationships, it’s time to get help.

Common anxiety symptoms include:

• Excessive worrying
• Racing thoughts
• Rapid breathing and heart rate
• Nervousness, restlessness, fidgeting
• Sweating, trembling
• Tense muscles
• Trouble sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating
• Upset stomach
• Anger or irritability
• Exhaustion or fatigue
• An aversion to social situations
• Panic attacks (sudden, intense bouts of anxiety)

Extra-special bonuses for creative professionals include writer’s block and imposter syndrome. Lucky us!

What science says about creative people and anxiety

So, is it true? Are creative people really more prone to anxiety and other mood disorders?

Science says yes:

• In 2004, a survey by psychologist Erika Lauronen in Finland found that of 13 major case studies, all but one supported the connection between creativity and mental disorder.
• In 2012, a study of nearly 1.2 million patients and their relatives conducted by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute found that people working in creative fields were 8 percent more likely to have bipolar disorder. Writers were a whopping 121% more likely to suffer from the condition and nearly 50 percent more likely to commit suicide than the general population. In addition, writers were found to have a higher incidence of other psychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
• A 2015 study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience concluded that “creativity and psychosis share genetic roots.” The researchers found that people in creative professions—painters, musicians, writers, and dancers—were 25 percent more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia than those in non-creative professions.
• In 2017, Christa Taylor of Albany State University published an exhaustive review of the most compelling research on the subject to date. Her findings showed clear evidence that creative people are indeed more likely to suffer from mental health issues such as anxiety and bipolar disorder.

Taken as a whole, the research suggests that creative people suffer more frequently from anxiety because they think differently, and that this . . . talent?—as well as a predisposition for mental illness—is genetic.

So, there you have it. A predisposition for anxiety and other mental health issues is coded into our DNA.

Fabulous.

As if we creatives didn’t already have enough reasons to be anxious.

Additional causes of anxiety in creatives

Beyond genetics, creative people often experience anxiety because:

• We are personally invested in our work.
  We creatives put a ton of ourselves into everything we do. Our jobs are not just jobs to us. The work is essential to who we are.
  
  It takes a lot of intensity to create the things we do. Our creations are a part of us. So when the client doesn’t “get” it or a marketing manager says, “Do it this way instead,” it’s hard not to take the rejection personally. The hit to our egos can hurt our feelings and self-esteem.

• Our jobs are hard. Good creative work requires communication, coordination, and collaboration among many people across a range of disciplines. A single weak link can create chaos for everyone. If people don’t play nice, if processes aren’t followed, if jobs are handed down without creative briefs, if deadlines are crazy and creatives are swamped with round after round of random changes, it’s going to be difficult and frustrating for anyone to get anything done.
  
  Agencies especially have a reputation for being emotionally challenging environments. If I had a dime for every time I heard about an agency creative who broke down crying in a conference room or got berated in front of a client—well, I’d have a shitload of dimes.

• Expectations are high. Creatives are often treated as two-legged idea dispensers. Writer, designer, animator, whatever—we’re all expected to “turn it on” at the drop of a hat. This is incredibly stressful, having to deliver great ideas on demand.

• We feel pressure to perform. Creative fields are extremely competitive. We’re all racing to come up with the next big idea. We need to wow the client. We need to please the boss. We want to stand out from our contemporaries. Every time we sit down at our keyboards, it feels like we put our reputations on the line.

• Our work is subjective. No, I know—we creatives are professionals who have very good reasons for doing the things we do. We have years of training and experience and test results to back up our decisions.
  
  And yet, that’s never stopped anyone from telling us how to do our jobs.
  
  People constantly question our ideas, our thinking, our knowledge. Clients dictate that we use their favorite colors. Art directors demand we do things their way. We are at the mercy of others all day, every day. We do our best work and then stand naked before the world, waiting to be judged. If that’s not stressful, I don’t know what is.

“Opinions are like asses—everybody has one, and most of them stink.”

• We fear failure. As creative professionals, we feel the need to succeed. Not only do we yearn for the satisfaction that comes from creating great work, but we also desperately seek the approval of others. When we don’t get the respect, admiration, and validation we think we deserve, it can bruise our egos and sense of self-worth. Many creatives (myself included) fall prey to negative self-talk, which only adds to our anxiety.

Interestingly, even the great David Ogilvy was haunted by a fear of failure. Said he: “The [creative] lives with fear. Will he have a big idea before Tuesday morning? Will the client buy it? . . . Will it sell the product? I never sit down to write an advertisement without thinking, ‘This time I am going to fail.’”

I’ll bet you know the feeling.

“There’s not much distance between a pat on the back and a kick in the pants.” —David Lee Roth

• The world is constantly changing. Technology and tactics are evolving at a dizzying rate. Every day, it seems there’s some new marketing channel or tool or technique we creatives need to master. It can be hard to keep our feet when the ground beneath us is shifting so fast.

Tips and strategies for dealing with anxiety

The next time you feel anxious, try these tips:

• Tackle your troubles. If you know the source of your anxiety and it’s something you can control, now is the time. Maybe you’re dreading having a difficult talk with a colleague, or an item on your to-do list is eating you alive. Whatever it is, stop procrastinating. Do it now so you can move on.

• Take a deep breath. Soon after my first anxiety attack, I visited a physical therapist to loosen the rock-hard knots in my shoulders and back. She showed me a deep-breathing technique that works by regulating the heart rate and increasing oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. The resulting release of endorphins produces a natural calming effect.

Here’s how to do it:
   1. Exhale completely.
   2. Inhale deeply through your nose. Watch your diaphragm rise as your lungs fill with air.
   3. Hold the breath for 8 or 10 seconds.
   4. Release the breath slowly and completely through your nose.
   5. Repeat four times.

The great thing about this is you can do it almost anywhere. My physical therapist suggested I do it a couple of times a day and before I react to something upsetting.

• Talk it out. Reach out to your friends, family, and colleagues. If that’s not enough, maybe it’s time to visit an anxiety support group. Never, ever feel self-conscious about talking with a professional if you think it might help. It’s a healthy thing to do.

• Change your focus. When you feel anxious, turn your attention to a good book, movie, or hobby to refocus your mind away from your worries. (Personally, I like to put on a video game and play ball with my cats.)

• Change the scene. Get out for a walk. Go for a drive. Take a vacation. Spend a day with friends. If your mind is in a rut, breaking out of your routine may help.

• Work out your worries. Are you getting enough physical activity? Exercise is good for the mind as well as the body. You can go to the gym, or you can “get busy” at home. (Yes, that counts as exercise, too!) Get those endorphins and positive thoughts flowing.

• Meditate. Meditation can be a respite from your worries, and it’s very easy to do. Start by finding a quiet place to sit down and get comfortable. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Relax. Let go. Focus your mind only on the here and now. Listen to your breathing. When your thoughts drift, gently bring them back to the present. Do this for five minutes a day.

• Laugh. The simple act of smiling causes the brain to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that produces feelings of happiness. In fact, studies have shown that laughter and humor improve psychological health and well-being, proving without a doubt that laughter is good medicine.

• Listen to music. Music is one of my favorite mood modifiers. Put on something you enjoy that conjures positive memories. You could also try soothing sounds such as ocean waves, a steady rain, or a cat purring.

• Relieve physical tension. Anxiety often causes tense muscles that can result in headaches and other physical problems. Loosen up with a hot bath or a heating pad. When my anxiety kicks up, my chiropractor and masseuse see me often.

“Good Lord, man! You have GOT to relax these muscles. I can’t help you if you don’t fix the cause of this.” —My chiropractor

• Train your brain. Frankly, I hate it when people recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. This involves changing the way you think about a problem or a threat, and turning troubling thoughts into calmer, more productive ones. To me, it feels like they are essentially saying, “Good luck! You’re on your own!” But the fact is, taking control of our thoughts is critical.
  
  People who suffer from anxiety often get caught up in a cycle of repetitive negative thoughts and worrying. We dwell on our problems, both real and imagined, and over-analyze them until we’re miserable.
  
  Learning to take control of your thinking can be difficult, but you have to try. (As a tinnitus sufferer, cognitive behavior therapy is one of the only tools I have to cope.) The next time you find yourself falling into a familiar pattern of negative thinking, try some of these cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help overcome your fears.

• Leave it behind. Can’t live with your job? Look for a new one. Is a relationship bringing you down? Let it go. No toxic job or person is worth the price of your health and happiness.
  
  Sometimes it’s best to cut things out of your life if you know they upset you. Last year, my daily commute was horrible. I finally decided it could kill me at 60 miles an hour or I could let it kill me slowly over weeks, months, and years. I work from home now and every day is happier.

• See a medical doctor. Make sure your anxiety is not the result of a health problem. If your doctor thinks it will help, he or she may prescribe medication to help you get back on track.

IMPORTANT: If you ever feel like harming yourself or others, contact someone you can trust immediately: your doctor, a friend, or a relative. We don’t need you pulling a Van Gogh.

• Give yourself a break. Treat yourself to something that will make you happy: dinner out, a movie, a pedicure. Make it something you normally wouldn’t do—the more relaxing, the better. Most of us don’t do ourselves this kindness often enough.
  
  
• Cut yourself some slack. This is one of the things that helps me the most. Realizing that I am an imperfect person who makes mistakes—and has every right to—is very liberating. Another thing that helps is to accept the fact that I simply can’t carry around this stress and anguish and regret all the time. It’s not just unhealthy; it will drive me to an early grave. Instead, I can give myself permission to be happy and human, to enjoy the life I’ve been given and not take all of this so seriously. To paraphrase a bit of wisdom I read recently, “The universe is so unfathomably vast; how silly that we should see ourselves as so important. We are but dust motes with ideas.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff . . . And it’s all small stuff.” —Richard Carlson

The need to accept uncertainty

People with anxiety often have a hard time accepting that we can never have complete control of our lives. But we can get closer to happiness when we begin to relax our need for control and the desire to always have things go our way. I touched on these and other ideas in my New Year’s post about the teachings of Pema Chodron, an American Buddhist nun. Read her inspirational words here.

Remember, you are not alone

Anxiety can be a bitch, no doubt. But if you suffer from its darkness, you are not alone.

Far from it. Anxiety is the most common mood disorder in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults (18 percent of the population) every year. Celebrities from Steven Spielberg to Lady Gaga are not only open about suffering from anxiety; they say it actually fuels their work.

So try to take comfort in the fact that so many others are dealing with problems similar to yours. They’re out there right now—probably with their eyes bugging out, hair standing on end—just like you and me.

Just please, don’t wait to get help. Anxiety and other mood disorders are highly treatable. It’s a shame that less than 40 percent of those suffering from anxiety seek treatment.

Believe me, you want to get help before things get really bad.

Finally, be kind to yourself. As an anxiety sufferer, it is critical that you create a lifestyle of peacefulness and calm. You need to learn to relax. Take the pressure off. Give yourself permission to be what you are—a flawed human being who walks around feeling anxious and sad and fucked up a lot of the time.

It’s OK. You’re in good company.

Go to blog home page.

For more anxiety facts and stats, visit the Anxiety and Depression Association of America at: https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

If your anxiety is affecting you so much that you’re worried about your safety, call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) at 1-800-273-8255—or go to the emergency room.