What is Bipolar?
Bipolar disorder (once called manic depression) mainly affects your mood. With this diagnosis you are likely to have times when you experience: manic or hypomanic episodes (feeling high); depressive episodes (feeling low); and potentially some psychotic symptoms.
Everyone has variations in their mood, but in bipolar disorder these swings can feel very extreme and have a big impact on your life. In between, you might have stable times where you experience fewer symptoms.
Bipolar in Art
Many people living with bipolar disorder have demonstrated themselves to be highly creative.
Isa Genzken
Isa Genzken (1948) is a German contemporary artist who lives and works in Berlin.
One of the most inspiring things about Isa Genzken is how open she has been about her struggle with bipolar illness. This woman is notorious for being media-shy. Her career has spanned four decades, yet her interviews are few and far between. In recent years, she has been candid about what bipolar is like. Furthermore, she has shared her experience with alcoholism, including that a doctor told her in 2013 that she would never get out of the psychiatric hospital if she didn’t stop drinking; that was when she finally got sober. |
Her struggles have impacted her career as an artist. In addition to periods of commitment, she spent time living on the streets. Furthermore, gallerists found her difficult to work with, which made it hard to get ahead. The fact is, the highs and lows of bipolar illness can make a linear career difficult.
Despite all of this, she has continued to prolifically produce works of art. She serves as a role model to younger artists who see her as fearless. In fact, The New Yorker says her “art and life are narratives of defiance” as she finds a way to continue creating through all of her mental struggles. |