<< Back to Articles

Van Gogh Syndrome : Pathology and Treatment
by Heather Gordon
April 26, 2006

In 2004, I made a full recovery from Van Gogh Syndrome (VGS). As is common, I was afflicted with this artist's disease at an early stage in my career. After 14 years, I sought professional help and with treatment have become an artist with a vision of myself as both successful in my career and fully satisfied in my personal life. It's for the many still out there that suffer daily with VGS that I write this article.

Signs of VGS

• An uncontrollable urge to suffer for your art
• Feeling that depression and destructive behavior is what drives your creativity
• Simultaneous feelings of worthlessness and artistic superiority
• No health care plan, retirement savings, or funds to fulfill your material needs as an artist
• No viable plan for furthering your artistic career
• Failure to make healthy decisions about your life and art

Treatment Plan

If you suspect that you may have VGS, please make an appointment with an art consultant or career coach in your area. You can obtain immediate help by following these steps toward recovery.

• Admit you suffer from VGS
• Read about artists who have "made it". Those special few who are living examples of the type of success you want for yourself. Study their lives. Write down the highlights of their careers. Understand all of the many factors that made their success attainable.
• Develop a two-year plan to treat your art career like a business. Keep good records and re-evaluate at least once every two months.
• Start investing in your life and career. Protect yourself from catastrophic financial disaster by getting health coverage. Put any amount you can into a retirement account. Get the stuff you need to drive your career forward.
• Realize the best work in the studio comes from living a healthy and happy life.
• Understand that success will come from a combination of vision, creativity, determination and financial security.

Remember, you're not alone. Thousands of artists suffer from VGS. And visual artists are not the only ones afflicted with this terrible disease. Other forms of VGS include:

• Sylvia Plath Syndrome (SPS) - attacks writers of all types although most commonly seen among poets
• Jim Morrison Syndrome (JMS) - afflicts musicians
• James Dean Syndrome (JDS) - afflicts actors
• Rudolf Nureyev Syndrome (RNS) - afflicts dancers

 

 

 

 

 

Heather Gordon {Art with Teeth for a Hungry World} EAT UP!
p: 828.296.0555     e: mail@heather-gordon.com