A broken heart is a source of
inspiration for powerful music and art. But it can chew on your happiness and
peace of mind, and if you can’t move on, the melancholy can become addictive,
and FYI, it kills too.
The world has lost many of its most
brilliant musicians and artists in general to death over this phenomenon. From Kurt Cobain to Chester Bennington, they
were all good at they what did, and inspired millions of people all around the
world. They were unique and special, but they would have drowned themselves in the
cacophony of their own thoughts, addicted to remaining sullen and sick over
something that only they knew was true. Perhaps, they convinced themselves that
it was true. One cannot guess the miseries and ordeals in personal life that
they went through, for real, but if you know the real strength of human spirit,
you will know that nothing is too strong for you to give up.
One of the most influential
painters in the history of human evolution, Vincent Willem van Gogh has
remained an inspiration for painters aspiring to do big all around the world.
But even he lost his own battle. It is believed that he had Bipolar disorder,
and if you know the devil, the disease is strong enough to capsize the last bit
of hope you have of living peacefully. Your
mind alternates between extreme emotions, a medical condition, where chances of
a comeback are bleak. If you try to
understand van Gogh’s paintings, you would feel like they were inspired from
the backdrop of a creative but broken soul. And what do we learn from that? Is
creativity and sadness akin to each other?
Substance abuse, binge drinking,
depression and pain – It is a common conviction that they are all synonymous
with the life of artists. This conviction (I would say) is a result of pure
misunderstanding! It is just a choice! You can either see them as catalysts or yet
another source to just chill out! Or maybe, you don’t need them at all. It’s
all up to you, and the way you think to be precise.
To find inner peace remains the
biggest challenge of all. And where are we failing? Why did we lose the best of
musicians and artists to various branches of depression?
“Why am I here? What have I gained? Why did it happen to me? Why me? Why
don’t they understand?” These questions form the foundation of most of the suffering
that a human spirit goes through. With broken expectations, a shattered heart
and tear-filled eyes, maybe one can come up with the best of music. It is good to let go of your emotions on a
piece of paper, or let it go with the flow onto the strings on your guitar. But
what happens after that? Why are you not happy, when your music or writing inspires
others? Why did you fight hard to get published, or make and exhibit your music
in the first place, if you can’t take pride in what you have earned? And if you
really read all the questions at the start of this paragraph, you will
understand that they don’t have fixed or permanent answers. They are always
flexible. A person is what he thinks he/she is. We are all lucky to be here. Think
that, and most of those questions will be dwarfed by reality. Think of yourself
as someone who inspired millions and you are a star; not for others, but most
importantly for yourself; and that becomes you. Think of your life as meaningless, and that’s what it
is. If you think of yourself as someone with a broken relationship and no real friends,
then that’s you! You are what you think you are! So why leave, when you can build
a better world for yourself, just by changing the way you think.
It is easy to contend that it is
not easy to change. And it is not easy at all. But think of this – when you are
sad and depressed, very often all it takes is just a good song to spring your mood
up to an all-time high! When you see a baby laugh, when you listen to motivational
speeches, it turns the table on your mood. ‘Mood swings’, in a positive way
though, we can call it! Music, literature, and, life in common has enough to
power, captivate and charge your soul. So when you know that a major changeover
is possible, why do you give up? Why do you end up blind?
You do intensive work-outs, and
your muscles develop! But you have to start working-out and eating or glutting
is not going to help! When you run your imagination wild about yourself, you have to
know that the scripting for your own life is taking place there! So, it all depends
on the kind of work-outs you do!
Smoking is addictive, but how
many times have you enjoyed your cigarette till the last puff! And why are
smokers not able to quit if it is not that an enjoyable a habit. Just like
brushing your teeth becomes a very important task in your life, smoking also becomes
a part of your identity. If you relate the power of these habits on your daily
life schedules, it will help you understand the problem that the artists go
through.
Depression and sadness not only became a creative tool, but it also
became a habit that they couldn’t resist. They delved on it because they found
beauty in it. And it did serve them well, but the masked demon in it swallowed them
all. Sadness-turned-depression hunted them down. And they didn’t think so much
as to avoid or understand its intervention, because they loved it in a way. To
avoid all this, it is important to understand the power of happiness, and the
art of flipping the coin upside down whenever it is needed.
Just like how songs can change
your mood in the blink of an eye, there are enough resources to uplift your
mood all around you. But for that, you have to have the determination to change,
which is the only constant! Keep on trudging and be patient till you see the
green light! Faith is the answer, and your mind holds the key to all your problems.
It is in you! Before anything, one has to believe in himself/herself, and take
that leap of faith. We are all lucky to be here, and the one thing that
controls our inner-peace is our own mind. If you don’t have it, you can always
have it, but only if you are ready to start. To develop a muscular and fibrous
body, one has to work out with a lot of discipline for several months. And
similar to that, taming your mind won’t be an easy task, but on that part
everyone should know that success is not an easy word, and it is not just limited
to fame or glory. Success is when you decide to break the chains and set
yourself free. Success is when you are happy! When you try to axe a habit of
yours, it is never an easy procedure. Pain, sadness and irritation are part and
parcel of the process. But it will eventually happen, and the habit will die
off one day! People have battled even death and come out alive. When they
staged a comeback, it was a message to the whole world that the mind has
healing powers. And if you know yourself, and know how to tame the mind, you
will realise that happiness is indeed a choice!
Sadness can inspire art and serve
your creativity well. But if you don’t have them in check, if you forget to
smile, then know that the real success of remaining happy and feeling lucky to
be just alive, will always remain elusive to you. The choice is yours and it is
very important because we can’t have more ‘Chesters’ leaving us! The world
needs them!
Hemanth Sreekumar
hemanthsreekumar.89@gmail.com
