The making of an artist: a description of the artistic mind and factors that contribute to an artistic life

Abstract

Artists as a group are different from non-artists in many ways. Most people recognize this quite implicitly. By the term artists I refer to those practicing any of the fine, performing, literary or visual arts. They are different from non-artists in their talents and special abilities, their personalities, their mental make-up and even their growing up/ practicing environments. The purpose of this research is to paint a picture of the artistic mind. How the study attempts to do this is by locating a theoretical standpoint from which to view the artistic mind, by interviewing practicing artists and studying the biographic information of some of the leading artists of the twentieth century. Existing literature in the realm of psychology considers art in a number of different ways. One stream of research explores the therapeutic value of art. Another body of literature is devoted to studying the creative process hoping to transfer some of the methods and practices into everyday life for better problem-solving. Yet another line of study applies what is known in psychology to help improve the performance of artists. Apart from these, there is the study of creative individuals and gifted individuals which somewhat tends to overlap with the study of artistic individuals. There has also been much applied research devoted to exploring the non-art benefits of art such as improved self-esteem, better interpersonal skills, improved verbal and mathematical reasoning, etc. Sociologically, art is examined for its role and function in society, as a symbolic form of expression, as a cultural phenomenon and as a tool that challenges or reinforces social norms and trends. But there is very little research on the artist himself/ herself. By trying to describe the artistic mind, the study attempts to bridge some part of that gap.