Something ive always loved is art and artists. The history of art and the different media the artists choose to work in i find fascinating. Ive read books and seen a lot of documentaries about them. And it seems to me many of them dont seem to have very good mental health. Sometimes the best of them have issues.
So when i hear of a artist saying and doing things that people find fault with or questionable i tend to ignore it. when it comes to artists i give them a lot of leeway. their music often helps us to cope and is cathartic.
I dont care what Kanye West says, or does or who he marries. i only care about his music. which by all accounts is great. I dont care if Bono wants to crusade for a hundred causes. as long as U2 continues to come out with great albums.
I watched the movie “Basquiat” and found it heart breaking and I think its true that we need to take care of our artists. I believe they may have issues we cant see and are more sensitive than the average person.
The problem with mental issues is they cant be seen. Its not like a limp or a ailment thats visible. Im not sure if its the condition of an artist or the treatment he receives that causes him to start a career in art. Or if its the condition that helps him to see things others dont or gives him a way to express it that we dont readily see. But the effect of his work is definitely a powerful one. This can cause further problems for the artist as suddenly his life changes from a spartan one to a more excessive and elaborate one.
People treating him as a God or something divine instead of seeing him as just a man/woman can do a number on his already addled mind. especially if hes been virtually ignored most of his life due to a mental condition that may isolate. I think of this often when i think of Kurt Cobain and what he went through.
Just some thoughts i have been contemplating for a while lol.