Author(s): KATHRYN VERCILLO

Art History

Explore a new side of artists whose work you know by considering their mental health state and the ways it may have shaped their works. The Healing Power of Art Why is there a misconception that artists are a little bit "crazy"? Does having an artistic temperament mean that creative people operate in a mental state different from the "norm"? And why is art often used as therapy for mental illnesses? Anyone who enjoys looking at art, or who finds comfort in art making while living in our high-tech, high-stress era, will be intrigued by this look at historical and contemporary artists whose work reflects the mental-wellness issues that each one has lived with. Through biographies of individual artists, readers will explore existing research and theories about the relationship between mental health and creativity. Topics include why substance abuse is found at high rates among artists, how we can learn about the mental health of artists who were diagnosed with now-obsolete terms like "melancholia," and in cases where a formal diagnosis was lacking, how artists are posthumously "diagnosed" by modern-day professionals. The artists discussed in the main chapters and sidebars reflect a wide range of mental health topics, including anxiety and depression, bipolar conditions, body dysmorphia, disordered eating, and PTSD, among others. AUTHOR: Kathryn Vercillo is a full-time writer with a master's degree in psychological studies. She is passionate about mental health topics and believes deeply in the power of art as therapy. She is the author of eight books, including Crochet Saved My Life, which is about the health benefits of handcrafting. She lives in San Francisco. SELLING POINTS: . Recounts fascinating and relatable details about historical and contemporary artists' experiences with mental wellness . Reaches beyond "self-help" books, focusing on compelling narratives rather than providing advice or tips on art therapy . Offers insight into new research to help us understand how the filaments of mental illness and the tendrils of creativity intertwine, cross paths, run parallel, and diverge 20 images