How Ari Lennox Taught Me About Mental Health
A month and some change after the release of her new single "Whipped Cream", the DMV-native Ari Lennox decided to tweet through her frustration with creating music. On the surface, she's frustrated with the creating process and abandoning her own mental health for the sake of her work. This common thread of strenuous labor done in short periods of time in the music industry is a part of the reason why so many projects are here today and gone tomorrow. In the social media era of the digital age, quality endures where quantity fades as we've seen through projects like CTRL, A Seat at The Table, Awaken, My Love, Ego Death, and so on. However, for Lennox, as she's creating this quality body of work, she's abandoning kindness towards herself and it disrupts her creative flow. Artists often disregard their mental health for the sake of their work, muddying the waters of their inspiration, talent, and willpower.
Only two days later, she corrected herself and realized the importance of her mental health during the creative process. If the artist themselves are not 'ok' or functioning on a balanced level; the scramble of core ideas in their head, the moving parts of a current project, forthcoming ideas changing the direction of the said project, and all the mind-games that come with making art reach new, arduous heights. Here is where many artists can take note to not only make sure they’re mentally prepared to endure a lengthy work, but also to take their time in creating such works. Go through the motions when you have to, but don’t lose complete sight of what you’re attempting, just as Ari figuratively showed us this past week.
The optimist suggests that some of the artists greatest work come from unnerving circumstances, frustrations, and life issues; and while this is true in some cases, most humans are consumed by circumstances out of their control and it's easy to lose focus. In her situation, the frustrations are compromised her process by asserting itself in the forefront, but all she had to do was readjust her mindset and repurpose her discontentment.
Through her public discomfort, Ari Lennox laid a foundation for discussion around maintaining a mental balance while giving so much oneself to their art. Being an artist is a selfless profession, however, the quality will suffer if the artist isn’t selfish with what keeps them inspired. Suffering for the sake of the work is only beneficial to the artist if it’s healing and reveals new levels of self, otherwise, the work will not live up to its full potential, and neither will the artist.
Read a select few of many below: