Speaking directly in an indirect way

Paul Deneer

This essay focuses on the connection between personal and artistic growth. The starting point for the essay is my position as a student counsellor at the University of Arts The Hague dealing with students that have personal issues that affect their artistic development. First I take a bigger view by focussing on personal growth in general, from a dialogical perspective. I also make a connection to mental health. With the concepts derived from this wider perspective, I investigate how they could play a role in art. I present material I gathered, about artists who struggle on a personal level with a possible effect on their artistic work. Also in regard to art, I make a connection to mental health. I look back on the reports from my conversations with students, and analyse the data of an interview I did with 14 students. To illustrate my argument, throughout the essay I present cases of students that contacted me during the past years.

Chapter 3

Artistic growth

With the concepts I presented before regarding personal growth I would like to follow a similar procedure looking at artistic growth. In 3.1 I will focus on art from a dialogical position. The question if art also requires inner dialogue, will be the focus in 3.2. The possible effect on his work if the inner dialogue of the artist is (partly) based on a reactive script, is the focus in 3.3. Similar to personal growth, in 3.4 I also try to make a connection to mental health as far as artistic growth is concerned.

3.1 Art and dialogue

3.2 Art and inner dialogue

3.3 The artist in reactive mode

3.4 Art and mental health

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