Are artists supposed to be crazy? Bipolar artist explains art and mental health.
Channel: Kim Diaz Holm
Date: 2022-11-23

There's so many cliches about art and mental health. The myth of the crazy artist, the moody artist, the depressed artist, the starving artist, the obsessed artist, and so on. 
Without romanticizing mental health disorders I want to explain from my perspective, as an artist struggling with bipolar disorder, why I think art is linked to mental health. And why we should all be more open and talk our mental health issues, and why we need to see our art struggles from the viewpoint of mental health. 
Through my argument I touch of the idea of neurodivergence, often associated with ADHD and the autism spectrum, of bipolar and school, and also delve a little in to Greek mythology and the Muses, as recalled by Homer and Hesiod in his Theogony. 
All the views in this video is of course just my perspective as a sufferer of mental health disorders, not a therapist or doctor. And as such should be seen as the perspectives of a single artist, not as any authority on the issues. 

All my art is available for free use at https://denungeherrholm.smugmug.com/

Support free art at: https://denungeherrholm.smugmug.com/

All the music in this video is licensed from Epidemic Sound, and created by Feras Charestan, Jon Bjork, Def Lev, and Joseph Beg.


THE TOOLS I USE:
All these tools are things I use myself. That being said, there’s so many great brands, big and small, that produce amazing alternatives, and you can also get them from other stores than Amazon. However, if you use the affiliate links below, I get a small cut. 

All of the sets recommended below will include color or brush variations that might be superfluous. I tend to buy both sets and individual items, because I like the flexibility. But on a budget, just get the one item you need. 

Daler-Rowney Aquafine Synthetic Brush Set: https://amzn.to/4a7WLyb
(Round Brush size 4 most important)

Manuscript Chinese Calligraphy Goat Hair Brush set:https://amzn.to/4bT5QfD 

Pentel Color Brush Black: https://amzn.to/48slfk9 

Pentel Color Brush Set: https://amzn.to/42TRVBX 

Pentel Color Brush Black Refill: https://amzn.to/3uNuvl9 

Talens Indian Ink: https://amzn.to/49pf1D0 

Talens Ecoline Liquid Water Color Set: https://amzn.to/49ryG5l 

Dr. Ph Martin’s Radiant Liquid Watercolor Set: https://amzn.to/49ss8n6 

Golden High Flow Acrylics Black: https://amzn.to/48tY9cZ

Golden Fluid Acrylic White: https://amzn.to/49PDSzD 

Golden Fluid Acrylic Set: https://amzn.to/49LEFBJ 

Fabriano Sketching paper, can hold some ink: https://amzn.to/49ryT8D

Fabriano Hot-Press Watercolor paper: https://amzn.to/431Huws 

Fabriano Cold-Press Watercolor paper: https://amzn.to/3wwUQo8 

Faber-Castell B3 Graphite Pencil: https://amzn.to/3IdCYkH 



BOOKS & INSPIRATION:
I’ve learned to draw from a lot of books, most of them on drawing and penciling comics. But the two most important for my own artistic journey were probably: 

How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way: https://amzn.to/3IghYtS 

Bridgman’s Complete guide To Drawing From Life: https://amzn.to/3IeUd5f 
(I’m not satisfied with the print, but great book still)

None of them have to do with inking directly with a brush, but they lay the groundwork for most of what I do.