Leaning Into Art to Battle Depression with David Sandum (#169)

In this episode I talk with David Sandum who was driven to take
up art personally and then professionally after being
hospitalized with depression in 2001.


His journey through depression led him to the works of Vincent
Van Gogh and Edvard Munch—finding solace and a deep connection
with their expression of raw emotions.


We discuss how art continues to be a lifeline in his struggle
with depression and his memoir, I’ll Run Till the Sun Goes Down:
A Memoir About Depression & Discovering Art.


David and I touch on the tension between making art for yourself
and surviving in a commercial market, and, related, why he chose
to focus on a series of Auschwitz paintings over seemingly more
market-friendly paintings of beaches.


We also talk about how he organized a community of artists on
what was then Twitter to begin an annual international exhibition
and fundraiser that has been going on since 2010. The Twitter Art
Exhibit has evolved into the Postcard Art Exhibit, which
accurately reflects its contents.


Heads up that you’ll hear David abbreviate it repeatedly—and
understandably—as PAE.


 RELATED EPISODES


The Art Biz ep. 168: Impacting Artists First in a Curatorial
Project Focusing on Empathy with Nanci Hersh


The Art Biz ep. 112: Leaning Into Creativity in Times of Pain
with Rich Simmons


The Art Biz ep. 52: Making Art While Grieving Loss with Jan
Heaton


 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and
leave a comment, visit
https://artbizsuccess.com/sandum-mental-health


️ Connect with David and see more of his art:
https://www.davidsandum.com


 Sponsored by my new program, ESTABLISH YOURSELF: Essentials
for Artist Success  a coaching group for strategies,
support, and accountability inside a community of artists who get
you. https://artbizsuccess.com/essentials


️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the
Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.


~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~


This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists,
wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The
Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~>
https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/