Pain can lead to greatness

As much as we hate it, pain can be an incredible motivator. Art, for instance, is something that is often inspired by profound and deep suffering and some of the best works in history were created because of it.

Edvard Munch’s painting Scream, as a notable example, is an expression of hurt and frustration as an unavoidable part of human existence. It became one of the top 10 most popular and renowned paintings in the world.

Amazing, breathtaking music ranging from Mozart’s Requiem to Moby’s haunting melodies was also created as a response to the dark side of life.

‘You cannot find peace by avoiding life.’ Virginia Wolf

Yes, you have to embrace life in its entirety, pain included. There are books and movies and photographs and all sorts of new forms of modern art, such as performances, that deal with discomfort. They have the power to penetrate deep into the artists’ and audience’s souls. They irreversibly change us forever.

The following Marina Abramovic’s performance is so powerful that it always, always makes me cry:

But why are artists dealing with these troublesome issues?

As an artist, you are here to express yourself, and your works serve as a mirror to the society. A true artist will not shy away from the powerful emotions and experiences, of whatever kind they might be.

There, however, is another important part to this as well. Artists use art as a way of coping with their most intense emotions. They instinctively sense that they need to process these feelings and they do it through creativity.

Lord of the Rings

Many of the works born out of pain are among the most popular, critically acclaimed, and renowned pieces of art

This is so because we all have these feelings and we all go through losses and frustrations and suffering. An artist gives us a precious opportunity to face complex emotions and process them with the help of art.

Our hedonistic society is obsessed with ‘feel goodism,’ ‘positive thinking,’ and the pursuit of happiness at all costs. We are not encouraged and welcome to express our sadness, our fears, our own private horrors openly.

We need the courage and honesty of an artist to help us communicate that and, even better, we can become artists ourselves. We too can use creativity as one of the best forms of healing available to us.

Become an artist

Yes, you can. Yes, you do have it in you. We all have it in us, we are all creative creatures, it’s a part of what makes us human.

Find your form of expression and know that there can be many. Are you a gardener, a cook, a baker, a scientist? There is a lot of opportunity for creativity in every calling, in every hobby.

Where do you find yourself? What forms come easy to you, what are you naturally good at? What draws you, what seems to be calling you?

Art is freedom, you can create art using most anything. Use it, do it, express it, transform it. Transform the pain.

Perhaps not a globally renowned masterpiece, but you can create something that will help you survive and get through it all.