Something that comes along with brilliant creativity often struggles with mental health. Many artists, and authors, claim that they do their best work when they are struggling mentally. Probably the most notable artists of all time include Vincent van Gogh, who cut off his left ear while arguing with a friend of his. Today, it is widely accepted that great, famous artists such as van Gogh struggled with mental health issues.
This theme coincides with authors as well. Many great authors who have produced iconic works of literature have also suffered greatly from mental health issues. Many authors in modern-day society acknowledge this and actively advocate for mental health awareness.
Yung Pueblo
Diego Perez, AKA Yung Pueblo, poet, and author of Inward reminds us that our behaviors have ripple effects, both on our relationships and the world.
Lisa Olivera
Lisa Olivera is a mother and a writer. She is also the author of Already Enough, which follows the path of self-acceptance. It is beautiful, touching, and hopeful. It is a comforting guide for any stage of life.
Anna Williamson
Anna Williamson is a life coach and #1 Best Selling Author. She was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder in the mid-2000s. She told The Sun that her experience is likely similar to what a lot of young people are going through.
Alicia Cook
Cook dedicates much of her life to educating people and speaking on the topic of addiction and how it impacts mental health. She released a collection of essays on the topic entitled Heroin Is The Worst Thing To Ever Happen To Me.
Laura Dockrill
Before giving birth to her first son, she never experienced mental illness before. However, she suffered post-partum depression and was admitted to a psychiatric ward. Now she is educating the world and bringing awareness to postpartum depression, parenting, and paranoia with her podcast and her book What Have I Done?
Hope Virgo
Hope Virgo is the author of Stand Tall Little Girl, a book about her experience with Anorexia. She began the Dump the Scales movement. Her mission is to bring awareness to the fact that not all eating disorders are visible.
Bassey Ikpi
Bassey Ikpi wrote a memoir about her struggle with mental illness. She was in a dark place when writing her first book, saying “I wanted people to know I did the best I could, that I’ve been trying for decades to be okay. I wanted them to know it wasn’t their fault, there was nothing they could do or say.” She struggled with Bipolar 2 and Anxiety for years, “I wanted them to understand exactly what I was feeling and what I was going through, so I started writing a lot of that down for that purpose.”
Natasha Devon
Natasha Devon is a British mental health campaigner and author who talks at schools and universities about mental health and wellbeing. In her youth, she struggled with bulimia as a coping mechanism to deal with her anxiety. After her recovery, all she wanted to do was be an advocate and help others struggling.
Jonny Benjamin
Jonny Benjamin is an award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer, public speaker, writer and vlogger. He suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. When he was on the ledge of the Waterloo bridge, a stranger convinced him to come down. This moment sparked his recovery.
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