Paterson Ewen - From the Adrienne Clarkson Presents site.
Society has a favourite image of the mad, creative genius.
I've been in seven psychiatric wards and I've never met another artist. This is no way of saying that I think artists are saner but rather a way of saying it seems as though that connection is only a sort of romantic one. Paterson Ewen has battled crippling anxiety, depression and alcoholism all of his life. For those subscribing to the 'artists must suffer' theory, Ewen and his doctor speak frankly and openly about Ewen's afflictions and come to the conclusion that it is only when Ewen's illnesses are under control that he is at his creative best. Today, Paterson Ewen is one of Canada's foremost painters, but even when he began in Montreal in the 50's, Ewen was at the top.