Fuel your creation with rage?

Mark Manson is everywhere nowadays. He’s on every podcast and every show promoting the new book he wrote with Will Smith. One thing Manson said had my ears perked up: when he wrote the blog article that later became his bestselling book - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, he wasn’t in a happy place. In fact, he was miserable… something to do with his girlfriend, in-laws, finance, WIFI speed… whatever I don’t remember. I just remember he hated the world at that moment. Drinking from a bowl of frustration and rage, he wrote the viral blog article. He mentioned that there would be no way he could have written that piece in a happy mental place.

Manson’s story reminds me of another guy who wrote another bestselling book tearing down the world - Karl Marx. It is widely proven that when he wrote the Communist Manifesto, he was plagued with painful boils near his anus and groin. So literally, he was a bitter, butthurt guy. No wonder his words were filled with ghost chili-flavored acid. 

I can google and come up with more examples of artists’ misery fueling their artistic advancement, but I will save it for later if this post somehow becomes viral and the theme of my own bestselling book. (hint: it won’t).

But this idea got me thinking about the possible positive effects of negative emotions - frustration, disappointment, jealousy, desperation, rage, and hate. 

Generally, we avoid them like the plague. In fact, we as a society are obsessed with happiness. Hell yeah I do. I want my days to start with sunshine and smile, and end with euphoria and ecstasy. I want my family to be a happiness-generating machine. We all do.

But the reality is, we have all been unhappy at one point or another in our lives. And when you are in those periods, are there ways to harness the negativity to produce amazing artistic work?

I am not sure how, but it’s something worth pondering and trying. And you know me: I try everything.

So the next time you see an angry but remarkable life manifesto from me, please quietly introduce me to your favorite gastroenterologist specializes in anal fissures.