I am not sure I agree with the sentiments GUEST eloquently expressed. I think for many artists total self-expression is their way of surviving. There is certainly a period of exhaustion after the birth process, but most of the real artists I know have a period of peace just after they are done. It is when it all starts up again that they kill themselves (one friend I know killed himself because as far as I can tell he didn't want to be in the same agony all over again, when the doubts began to gather again); or when it ought to start up again, but they can't get to where they want to go. Or they discover that they only had one baby in them (that is a really bad moment).

On the other hand, I do agree with the idea that people have only so much integrating resource to work with. If it goes into the art, there is little left over for life. On a much lower level, whenever I have a paper to write, housework goes all to hell till it is done.

yours,

Peter T.