I agree with almost everything you said, except for this: > People who manage to struggle through it and create art are doing it despite their disease and not

I agree with almost everything you said, except for this: > People who manage to struggle through it and create art are doing it despite their disease and not because of it. While depression can hurt creativity––bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia can actually help it[1]. The discussion has mainly been around depression, but I think the "suffering artist" label can apply to a range of disorders. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity_and_mental_illness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity_and_mental_illness