The dark, brooding artist is a common trope in mass media today. Both visual and literary artists are often linked to mental illness in one form or another to the point where it’s become expected of them; emotional instability is too often a hallmark of the modern artist and, therefore is often overlooked. Moreover, the “atypical” view of the world inherent in creativity is frequently seen as the root cause of anxiety—and, therefore, the actual causes of anxiety or depression are dismissed as unrelated. The life and works of author Sylvia Plath are a key example of a public figure whose anxiety and depression stem from multiple distinct traumatic events, but are often disregarded in favor of a romantic link between suicide and creativity.
