Freud’s psychoanalytic framework captures the very essence of artistic impulse: “The artist is originally someone who, unable to come to terms with the renunciation of drive satisfaction initially demanded by reality, turns away from it and gives free rein to erotic and ambitious wishes in his fantasy life. Thanks to special gifts, however, he finds his way back to reality from his fantasy world by shaping his fantasies into new kinds of realities, which are appreciated by people as valid representations of the real world”. Thus, the need for producing art occurs from the tension between inner desires and external constraints.
At its core, sadness demands introspection and holds the power to transform the wounded parts of ourselves. Without sorrow, longing, or wounds to heal, what would push us to grow? The human soul is not meant to dwell solely in pleasure; it is through pain that we shed the parts of ourselves that no longer serve us, reshaping them into something new. However, the romanticization of suffering and self-destruction as a requisite for creativity is problematic.
Instead, it may be more insightful to view creativity as a result of a bittersweet thought process. Art is about exploring the dark places within oneself and transforming them into light- a reordering of chaos into meaning. Art is not inherently “good” or “bad”, rather it is a reflection of the creator’s inner world. Ultimately, the value of art lies in its ability to resonate with one’s inner truth, to delve into the depths of their subconscious, and emerge with something transcendent.