There is solace to be found in the arts........

 They called her ''Lady Day'', but her real name was Eleanora Fagan.

Professionally she was known as Billie Holiday, and though she

didn't live a long life, her artistry still lives on today.

Her life was not a happy one. Already at the tender age of nine she

had to learn to fend for herself. 

When she was 15 years old she renamed herself ''Billie'' and

began to sing in local clubs in New York.

Music, she discovered, offered her solace.

Like so many other musicians/artists before and after her,

she struggled with substance abuse, failed relationships and

a life fraught with many hardships.

Eventually her hard life caught up with her and she died

in a hospital on July 17, 1959.

In spite of all her hardship, substance and physical abuse,

she still managed to produce amazing music and is by many

musicians considered as one of the best jazz vocalists of

all time.

''To be a ''real'' artist you need to suffer for your art.''

''You don't know how to play the Blues

unless you've lived it.''

Is there something to the trope of the tortured artist

or is it just another myth?

''We need to stop using ''the myth of the tortured artist'' to

dismiss creatives with mental health issues and instead

recognize the therapeutic potential of art.'' (Cerys Wiles)

Is turmoil and hardship somehow some kind of 

necessary ''fuel'' for creativity?

Is it possible to live a contented, harmonious and happy

life and be a great artist?

Why is an artist's suffering so often perceived as a necessity for a

''true'' artistic expression although recent research shows

that rather than improve creativity, it impedes it?

What if it is not suffering that makes great artists great

but their ability to express emotions that others can connect

and relate to?

Human beings, we are told, are social beings. We like to

share and exchange experiences with others. Doing so

we create relationships, form bonds and help us understand 

ourselves and others. Usually we do this with the use of

words, but sometimes words just aren't enough.

 This.... is the time when the arts can come in handy.

''Art and music shine a light of meaning on ordinary life,

and through them we are able to confront the things that

trouble us and to find consolation and peace in their

presence.'' (Roger Scruton)

''Music expresses that which cannot be said and on

which it is impossible to remain silent.'' (Victor Hugo)

''Music can change the world." (Ludwig van Beethoven)

''Dance is the hidden language of the soul.'' (Martha Graham)

''Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.'' (Edgar Degas)

''When artists give form to revelation, their art can advance,

deepen and potentially transform the consciousness of their

community.'' (Alex Grey)

In my view, it was not all the suffering that Billie Holiday 

experienced that made her a great singer, rather, 

what made her a great singer was that she kept on singing

in spite of her tortuous life.

about the image: ''Lady Day''     ink on paper