Behind the Brush and Mic: Artists Talk About Mental Health and Creative Expression
Everyone has a story about mental health. For some, it is something they wear quietly on the inside. For others, it shapes their work in the world, especially artists who bring emotion, struggle, joy, and complexity into every piece they make. In a time when mental health stigma still exists, artists using their voice and their craft to speak about their experiences is powerful. It gives vocabulary to feelings we all recognize but don’t always know how to talk about.
In this blog, we look at real artists—musicians, visual artists, and creatives—who have publicly spoken about their mental health journeys and how their art reflects that experience.
1. Lady Gaga: Turning Pain Into Purpose
Lady Gaga has been one of the most visible voices in music when it comes to mental health advocacy. Her honesty has drawn millions of people toward conversations that would otherwise stay painful and private.
In discussing the importance of talking about mental health openly, Gaga said this in a conversation with Prince William for Heads Together, a mental health campaign:
“I feel like we are not hiding anymore. We’re starting to talk. And that’s what we need to do.”
Read the full interview here: Lady Gaga Discusses Mental Health Struggles
Gaga has personally spoken about experiencing anxiety, depression, and post‑traumatic stress, and she has used these experiences to help others feel less alone. She also co‑founded the Born This Way Foundation, a charity devoted to empowering young people and advancing mental health resources.
This kind of advocacy shows how artists can take deeply personal experiences and turn them into platforms for healing and connection.
2. Kid Cudi: Honest Conversations About Depression and Rehab
Rapper and artist Kid Cudi has become a symbol of vulnerability in the music world. In 2016, he made a powerful decision to open up about his mental health struggles and seek treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts. In an emotional post on Facebook, he wrote:
“I’m so tired of feeling like I’m a prisoner to my own thoughts... I have to take care of myself for a while. I can’t let myself stay in this dark place.”
Read more about Kid Cudi's mental health journey here: Kid Cudi Opens Up About Mental Health
Cudi’s openness about checking into rehab in 2016 resonated with many fans who felt seen for the first time. He has used his platform to advocate for mental health awareness, showing that it’s okay to seek help.
3. Australian Voices in Art and Music
Fanny Lumsden: Music, Anxiety, and Honest Words
Australian country artist Fanny Lumsden has been candid about her own struggles with anxiety and how community and conversation make a difference. In support of mental health awareness, she has worked with Support Act, an Australian charity helping artists manage mental health challenges.
Read more about Fanny’s mental health work here: Fanny Lumsden for Mental Health
Speaking on her experience, Lumsden said,
“When I’m really high‑anxiety, I’ll be really open about the fact that I’m struggling.”
Read more about her story here: Fanny Lumsden Shares About Anxiety
Lumsden credits leaning on friends and family and being honest about her mental health as part of staying grounded. Her perspective reminds us that even when success feels unlikely or overwhelming, creativity and support can guide healing.
Support Act’s Tune Ups series features Lumsden and other Australian industry figures talking about mental wellbeing, loss, anxiety, and strategies they use to cope.
Find out more here: Tune Ups Series from Support Act
Tom Isaacs: Visual Art and Mental Health
Australian visual artist Tom Isaacs speaks about how his experience with anxiety and depression has shaped his artwork. In an interview with Arts Health Network, Isaacs said his creative practice grew from personal struggle:
“I live with depression and anxiety, and my art frequently engages with issues around mental health. Making art is a way to express my own experience and desire for relief from suffering.”
Read more about Tom Isaacs here: Tom Isaacs on Art and Mental Health
Isaacs hopes that by creating this work, he not only shares his journey but encourages a broader conversation about how society views mental health. His pieces are thoughtful reflections on emotional experience and invite the viewer to consider their own relationship with wellness and struggle.
Sam Kissajukian: Art from the Heart of Bipolar Experience
Australian artist and performer Sam Kissajukian has taken his experience with bipolar disorder and channeled it into a multimedia performance that blends visual art and live narrative. After an intense creative period during COVID lockdown, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His show 300 Paintings tells this story by projecting his artwork while he narrates, giving audiences insight into the ups and downs of mental health in vivid form.
Read more about Sam Kissajukian here: Sam Kissajukian’s 300 Paintings
Kissajukian’s work has toured across Australian Fringe festivals and won awards. It stands as a creative conversation about lived experience and emotional struggle.
Other Artists Who Speak Through Their Art
These artists, though from different backgrounds and places, also use their work to engage with mental health themes:
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Celeste Mountjoy (Filthyratbag) is an Australian visual artist whose illustrations frequently touch on anxiety, womanhood, and the emotional experience of modern life.
Find out more about her art here: Filthyratbag -
Richard McLean is a Melbourne‑based artist and mental health advocate who incorporates his experience with schizophrenia into his work, using art to bridge conversations about mental health and perception.
Find out more about Richard McLean’s work here: Richard McLean on Art and Mental Health -
I Ya Toyah, a singer and suicide loss survivor, focuses her music and outreach on suicide prevention and mental wellness.
Learn more about I Ya Toyah here: I Ya Toyah -
Yayoi Kusama
Yayoi Kusama is one of the most compelling stories of art and mental health in action. She has lived with mental health challenges for decades and has been open about this in interviews.
Kusama said in an interview that creating art was not just a career, but a way to live:
“I fight pain, anxiety, and fear every day, and the only method I have found that relieved my illness is to keep creating art. I followed the thread of art and somehow discovered a path that would allow me to live.”
This statement comes from her reflections on how art became her way of coping, expressing, and continuing through intense emotional experiences. Her work is known for its bold, repeating forms and “infinity room” installations that invite viewers into a world that is both overwhelming and hypnotic — very similar to what many describe when trying to articulate complex emotional states.
Article link about Kusama’s mental health and creativity: Yayoi Kusama biography and quotes
- These artists show us that art is not just about creating something beautiful—it’s about using creativity as a way to heal, advocate, and challenge societal norms. Whether it’s through music, fashion, or design, art has the power to speak to us in ways that words sometimes can’t. These artists have used their platforms to bring awareness to mental health, and through their work, they’ve not only helped themselves but countless others who may be struggling in silence.
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In a world where mental health is often misunderstood or brushed under the rug, art allows us to start a conversation. It helps us break down the barriers of stigma and connect with each other on a deeper level. These artists have proven that when we use our voices and our creative talents, we have the power to change how people view mental health—and that is a conversation worth having.