Making of an artist

An empty stomach is better than a full one, Van Gogh and a broken heart is better than happiness, never forget that.

                   - Weissenbruch to Van Gogh (as quoted in The Lust for Life)
                         
'The Lust for Life' is among the few books which contains words so powerful and descriptions so moving that I desperately wished to go back to the Van Gogh era only to have witnessed the life of a man so inspirational. To see him in the physical form, only to note what in his appearance bore the hint of his genius - his eyes? his gait? his talks?

While reading the book, and specifically when I came across the above mentioned Weissenbruch's advice, I was instantly reminded of Beethoven and Mozart and their phenomenal passion to create music, fighting all odds.

Then-
Is pain and suffering a necessary ingredient in the making of a great artist?

While I was still figuring out the answer, I came across this today-

Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to hurt like hell before you can write seriously. 

                 -Hemingway to Fitzgerald in this letter 

There is a pattern here. Similar message from the greatest we have known in their respective fields.

At this point, I am reminded of Anurag Kashyap's life ( I am a big fan of his movies) too. Pain, suffering, heart break eventually led him to create such beautiful movies. I realize Kashyap is a rather strange mention amid Van Gogh, Beethoven & Hemingway but there is a common element between all.

While there are great lives seemingly giving us the message 'pain realizes the genius', there have been geniuses nurtured by happiness and recognition too.

I am still unsure of how I want to and should conclude this post but I have a strong urge to believe in and agree with Weissenbruch and Hemingway.

They make for a mighty source of inspiration in difficult times. And who does not have them?