Why are artists weird? They are messy, mentally unstable, pretentious, bad at math—these are just some of the things you’ll hear about artists. Well, artists have different brains and they have different personalities. That’s a fact. In this post, we’ll delve into the personality of an artist and see why they are so complex. You’ll learn about seven reasons why artists have weird personalities and why you should avoid them! (ಠ‿↼)
Oh no. I’m a weirdo. I knew it. Artists are weird and you should absolutely avoid being around them! Says someone who has been creating art for more than a decade…
But seriously. Artists have different brains—that’s a proven scientific fact—and they have higher emotional intelligence than average. BUT, they are also weird.
Why are artistic people so different and is there anything you can do to better understand why artists are so complex?
In this post, we delve into the personality of an artist and learn why artists have weird personalities—at least some of them… (not me… no, it’s not me…)
What is the personality of an artist?
Artists are often considered to be different by “normal” people. They are labeled as weird, eccentric, pretentious, messy, mentally unstable, and so forth.
When you look at the art world in general, and at the most famous artists in particular, you cannot deny that there are many individuals that exhibit some odd behavior.
Salvador Dali, for example, is reported to paint himself blue and walk around with a loaf of bread strapped to his head. Oscar Wilde used to walk his lobster on a leash, and Charles Dickens would fight off imaginary people with his umbrella.
These are some extreme examples. Nevertheless, there are the ordinary artists around the corner that don’t paint themselves blue, don’t walk their lobsters, and don’t shadow-box with imaginary opponents. Still, those artists may be perceived as weird by their surroundings.
Why is that? What actually makes artistic people different?
Why are artistic people so different?
How goes the saying? Genius and madness walk hand-in-hand, right? And indeed, when you look at the greatest artists in history, you will notice that a bit of madness was often not too far behind their creativity.
Interestingly, science tells us that it’s nothing surprising. As I already mentioned at the beginning, the brains of artists are hardwired differently—on a very fundamental biological level.
What's more, neuroscience also tells us that the different structure of the brain may result in artists being weird. ´\_(ツ)_/`
That weirdness can show as odd behavior, strange habits, unusual perceptions of the outside world, high sensitivity, absent-mindedness, and so on.
~Drew Barrymore
Neuroscientists even gave this artistic phenomenon a name. They called it the “eccentricity effect.” Their research revealed that the more eccentric an artist, the more likely that artist will be to find success in their creative career.
Uuh. How’s that possible? Well, in their studies, the researchers interviewed art lovers and collectors and found that they tend to judge an artwork’s value based on their impression of the artist.
Related: This Is What Determines The True Value Of Your Art
How does the artist speak? Especially, how does the artist speak about their artwork? How does the artist dress? Unconventional or quite ordinary? Is there something mysterious to the artist? Maybe even something notorious?
The more eccentric an artist appears, the more are people interested in the art. This is what the studies showed.
In other words, if you are an artist, it pays to be weird!
That’s the good news. But now, let’s delve a bit deeper into what actually makes artists weird. Here are seven reasons why artists may have weird personalities!
7 Reasons why artists are weird
1. OCPD
OCPD stands for obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and it’s something that artists are more likely to have than the rest of the population.
You’ve probably heard of OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder, but it’s nothing like that. OCD is different and much more serious than OCPD.
While people with OCD suffer under their compulsive behavior, artists with OCPD usually feel inspired by their compulsions. They pay great attention to details, aim for excellence and love to have everything perfect. Sound familiar? To me it does…
Related: Perfectionism In Art: How To Stop Being An Art Perfectionist
2. Schizotypy
Another reason why artists are weird is schizotypy. Artists with schizotypal personalities are not psychotic or schizophrenic. That’s the good news. They only exhibit odd behavior and language.
Psychologists found that schizotypal people are more creative than non-schizotypal individuals. The researchers explained their enhanced creativity with the fact that schizotypes use both the right and the left sides of their brains. Less creative people rely more heavily on the right side of their brains to access their creativity.
So, if you tend to say or do odd things, then you are maybe one of those schizotypal artists. By the way, people have already told me that I have an odd humor. Does that count, too? (◔_◔)
3. Eccentricity
As I already mentioned above, eccentricity is actually something good when you are working in the art world. But it may also be a reason why artistic people are so different from others.
But why are artists so pretentious?
Well, research tells us that creativity and risk-taking go hand in hand. That means that artists often need to push boundaries and go beyond what is conventionally considered “normal.”
This may result in an unfamiliar way of acting that non-creative people tend to view as eccentric.
However, it’s just the nature of an artist. Most artists don’t have real regards for any kind of rules; they are free spirits. They like to challenge the status quo in their artworks—like the early lowbrow popsurrealists, for example, who revolted against political and social norms of the 1960s.
No rules and free spirit? I have to admit I’m loving it…
4. Solitude
Artists have the reputation of being loners. In fact, many creatives tend to shut themselves away from what’s going on around them in order to find new inspiration to create art.
~Albert Einstein
Art-making is not a highly sociable activity in itself. Therefore, artists necessarily need to spend a lot of time on their own.
But solitude also tends to stimulate creativity and imagination. More often than not, the best ideas come when you are alone! Have you already had that experience? I definitely did…
Moreover, artists are oftentimes night owls. They love to pull all-nighters creating art—of course all by themselves. Oh, I already mentioned that about myself in 20 Facts about the Artist…
5. Introversion & Extroversion
I’ve always wondered how I could be introvert and extrovert at the same time. Usually, one is either an introvert or an extrovert. But I am astonishingly noticing both character traits in myself.
Well, now I know why: artistic people may act like introverts and extroverts at the same time! That’s why artists are weird and so difficult to figure out.
At one time, artists can be shy, reticent and quiet. At another time, they may be outgoing and sociable. It totally depends on how they are feeling in the moment.
Nevertheless, most artists are probably rather introverts who find it difficult to put their experiences and emotions into words. That’s why they use art as a means of self-expression. I would count myself in here as well…
6. Suffering
When I wrote about the myths about being an artist that you shouldn’t believe, I also mentioned the stereotype of the “tortured artist.” No, you don’t need to be constantly suffering to be a great artist.
~Leslie Ann Butler
It is true that creatives are more likely to suffer from mental disorders. Artists of all kinds are 8% more prone to bipolar disorder—writers are even 121% more likely to suffer from the condition. Apart from that, artists are more likely to live with depression, and 50% more likely to consider suicide.
This is the dark side of creativity. But on the bright side, making art can also be beneficial for your mental health.
In conclusion, having a mental condition is not the prerequisite to create great art. What artists need to be able to do, however, is to access their deepest feelings.
We are all going through the school of hard knocks, right? We are all experiencing suffering, hardship, disappointment and other negative emotions at some point in time. We can draw from these experiences to process them in our artwork. This is what I do myself.
7. Addiction
Lastly, there is another—sad—factor why artists are weird: addiction. According to statistics, an immense number of creatives are addicted to some sort of drugs. Many of them even claim that that’s the source of their creativity.
Needless to say that drugs are harmful substances that have already ruined or taken the lives of a lot of famous artists.
However, one can become addicted to anything—not only the classical drugs. From what I read is that artists are more likely to develop addictions in general. This may also include eating disorders; they either overeat or are so immersed into their art that they forget to eat altogether.
They are also more prone to consume large amounts of caffeine to stimulate their imagination. French novelist Honore de Balzac, for instance, used to down 50 cups of coffee each day, while he was writing La Comédie Humaine.
Uups, I also used to drink a lot of coffee and even refer to myself as a former coffee addict in the 20 Facts about the Artist. Astonishing similarities… (but I’m better now with the coffee).
Further reading: 8 Characteristics Of A Real Artist: Do You Have What It Takes?
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OK, OK. No way to deny it. I am that weird artist… but please don’t avoid me! I have at least six of the “weird artist syndroms,” so I guess, I must be a weird artist without even noticing it. But aren’t we all a bit weird? (◔_◔)
Let me know what makes you a weird artist!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and learned something new from it. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
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Hi Brisbane, great to hear that you enjoyed reading about weird artists (-;
Looking forward to staying in touch with you!