Breaking News! Vincent van Gogh Chops Off His Ear in a Frenzy
Created in Canva by Nancy Blackman
December 23, 1888
Was he too emotional, trying too hard, not asking the right questions, or living in an either/or mindset?
In my research of creative communities, I’m learning how artists and writers from the past have shaped creativity for the present. Vincent van Gogh is an artist I stumbled upon, or maybe he stumbled upon me. I wasn’t very interested in his art until I visited his studio in Arles, France in 2009. His room was very unassuming, so what was the deal with the ear? Was he too emotional, too mentally unstable? Maybe it was a quick fix for his inner turmoil. Or, maybe his imagination ran amuck during one of his creative sessions. Let’s face it, even if you have never seen a van Gogh painting, you know the story of his ear.
What would Edwin Friedman have said to Van Gogh? Which part of the gridlock system would Van Gogh fall under? Was he trying too hard or searching for answers instead of asking different questions? Maybe he fell into the either/or mindset. If I can’t be a famous painter, then I’ll show the world how important I am!
Apparently, during a fight with Paul Gauguin, he threatened him with a razor before turning on himself. Shortly after, he handed his bloody ear to a prostitute, telling her to “keep this object carefully.”[1] Both being social outcasts, he apparently had a soft spot for prostitutes. Maybe his gesture was a way of saying, “I understand your pain. Would you remember me as an ally?”
For the artist, imagination is tantamount to their creativity, but how does one keep a non-anxious presence? Van Gogh might have been on the treadmill of trying too hard because he was a social outcast. Or maybe he was trying too hard not to fail. This was, after all, career #3, and throughout his career as a painter, he only sold one painting!
It raises the question of whether imagination is a help or a hindrance? Here are a few pros and cons that are my takeaways from Friedman:
PROS
- Creativity: Having a think-outside-the-box mentality helps when faced with complex problems
- Visionary: One can envision a better future and inspire others to move toward it.
- Flexibility: Helps navigate risk and uncertainty with greater emotional agility.
- Empathy: Open to different perspectives and diverse thoughts.
- Resilience: Can see the light in challenging times.
CONS
- Fantasy: When there is no accountability, imagination can lead to impractical and risky behavior that is unrealistic.
- Becoming Overwhelmed: Excessive imagination without practicality can lead to being overwhelmed or, worse, paralysis in decision-making.
- Lack of Focus: Too much imagination and not enough reality leads to priorities and focus falling to the wayside.
- Risk of Misinterpretation: Imaginative ideas can be misunderstood and/or misinterpreted, which can lead to confusion and resistance from the team.
For me, imagination is key to who I am, but I am aware that it can steer me down a bad rabbit hole. I agree with Friedman that it can be a deterrent.
Would van Gogh still have his ear had he not been so reactive and caught up in emotion? Maybe.
In the book Material and Mind, Christopher Bardt explains the connection between the mind and how it imagines material objects, such as art and writing, but also explores the question, “How are ideas, the imagination, and creativity influenced by and intertwined with physical material?”[3] He answers this by concluding that imagination and creativity are immensely shaped by one’s physical surroundings and the materials they interact with.
If the material of leaders is people, when the material begins to disintegrate, is there erosion or explosion? And, how does this connect to exploration, risk, and experience?
When a curious child touches a hot stove, they get burned, and, hopefully, learn not to do it again. This becomes a guidepost to a past experience. Friedman points to the value of past experiences and generations as guideposts for leaders today. What we learn from the past helps us understand emotional processes, the power of differentiation, why relationships and institutions don’t change, and giving new perspectives, but still … each leader needs to know their boiling point. What guideposts, cues, or self-awareness do they need to know when to stop and take a break before reacting?
The same is true for the artist. When I’m in a creative phase and find myself stuck, I know it’s time to step away and return with fresh eyes, aware that I am becoming too wrapped up. I never thought about it, but my emotions kick in. Thanks, Mr. Friedman.
Does this mean there is more of a connection between imagination and reality? Plato believed there are “ultimate truths that lay beyond matter and that manifested an image/idea.”[4] In fact, reality “can only be grasped by sweeping aside all that veils and obscures, namely materiality, flux, change, any state of “becoming” or transience.”[5]
It seems there is a tension between risk and reality—without risk, there can be no reality. In other words, when a system is stuck, embracing uncertainty can be good. Risky, but good. Otherwise, if one is not taking risks, there won’t be new experiences, and the leader and community will live in the Old World forever, never crossing to the Promised Land.
Friedman describes five attributes of past explorers— vision, vulnerability, persistence, stamina, and being headstrong, but before he lists them, he points out that they were not alone. It is in a community that success happens. This is especially true for creatives. Too much time in isolation can make a person crazy.
What do you need, as a reminder, to make sure your ears stay intact?
[1] Tim Brinkhof, “The Real Reason van Gogh Cut Off His Ear,” Big Think, last modified April 21, 2023, https://bigthink.com/high-culture/vincent-van-gogh-ear/.
[2] Edwin H. Friedman, A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix, 10th Anniversary ed. (New York: Church Publishing, 2017), 64. Kindle.
[3] Christopher Bardt, Material and Mind (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2019), 16. Kindle.
[4] Ibid., 118.
[5] Ibid., 118.
About the Author
Nancy Blackman
7 responses to “Breaking News! Vincent van Gogh Chops Off His Ear in a Frenzy”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Nancy,
The devotional series that I subscribe to has been doing a series on Van Gogh. The series started on Christmas day and has run since then. It’s focused on his Stary Night Painting, The Potato Eaters, The Good Samaritan, Parable of the Sower, and now his Peita. Did you know he was a missionary for a while? Some of his paintings were done while a patient for his mental illness at St Remy. So would Van Gogh still have his ear if he wasn’t so reactive with his emotions? That is a great question. How many people have done impulsive things due to being caught up in their emotions. Next week’s reading you’ll learn about System 1 and System 2 thinking. System one is that reactive thinking, its our automated processing, system 2 is our slow-down and really consider things thinking. I was talking my class today about how we tend to engage in system 1 thinking when we are tired, thus more reactive. I suggested they may need to set guidelines for preventing situations where they tend to be more reactive. I know some couples who have a rule, that they will not engage in “deep conversations” after 9 at night because they are both tired and tend to be more reactive. So do you have any guidelines for yourself to keep you from being caught up in your emotions and being overly reactive? What are you doing to keep both of your ears? If you have any interest in reading that devotional series, I can send them to you.
Hi Jeff,
I did not know that he was a missionary. Everything I read pointed to the fact that he had attempted a path as a pastor because his father was a pastor. In the end, one of the things I learned is that the reason he turned towards the arts was to share his view of God with the world. He felt that it was everyone’s calling to live out their passions and share their God-view with the world. That’s missional to me (especially as an artist). You might want to look at Makoto Fujimura’s work, and when you come to Washington DC this year, his work is in the Bible Museum.
Interesting about the System 1 & 2 thought processes. Chris taught me an AA pnemonic (HALT — Hungry Angry Lonely Tired). A person is often triggered to be reactive when they are in those situations.
I love your suggestion of setting boundaries! You are a continual wealth of inspiration and knowledge, sir.
Yes, I do. Chris and I also have boundaries. We never talk about business in the bedroom. My naturopath taught me to pay more attention to my body and how it responds and when I sense a tightness or anxiety flaring up to step away.
I would love to read your devotional series! Send it on 💜
Thank you, Jeff!
Thanks Nancy! I appreciate the meaningful questions that you asked and insights into how creativity that comes from pain or anxiety can be beautiful but have consequences in a person’s life.
How can we see becoming a less anxious as a help to the creative process in community as you describe?
Ryan,
I had to sit on that question for a bit. One of the best pieces of advice I was given when I began my art journey was “practice makes perfect.” Unless a person is innately talented, many need to just keep practicing. I have noticed that in my journey. I paint a flower for the first time that looks like a marshmallow with some wings. I keep painting that same flower and pretty soon that flower looks like something Georgia O’Keefe painted.
It takes time and patience. The amazing thing with art, however, is once a person lets go of any expectations and enjoys the process, it not only becomes a more enjoyable journey AND it becomes therapeutic.
I hope that answers the question, Ryan.
Nancy,
I have never thought of myself as a creative. However, I do love to create and grow a beautiful garden, that comes to full glory midsummer and then slowly fades away and dies each year, giving me a new blank space to work with. I guess it is creative energy as I get outside. After so much reading, and needing to bide time until my garden can start again, I began to start painting this last month. I am not good, but it is a creative outlet that allows me some time to process what I have been reading and allow for some creativity. I don’t think that I’ll be cutting off my ear anytime soon.
Adam,
For someone who starts out by saying they “have never thought of myself as a creative” and then moves into how they garden (a creative outlet) and is painting … Do you see where I’m going with this? LOL
It sounds to me you are very much a creative person, but you’re not owning it. Is that possible?
Nancy, I appreciate how you weave artistic expression into many of your posts. Ah, poor Vincent. I remember feeling so sad for him when I was a pre-teen and first introduced to “Starry Night.”
Something that has helped me keep my ears intact is the realization that it’s okay to be human. This is something I have recently owned. Accepting my humanness has helped to build templates for healthy responses rather than derailment in difficult situations. Perfectionism was never a good look for me.
What things besides stepping away have best helped you become “unstuck” in the creative process and/or life? I’m trying my best to not let YouTube become my outlet.