Music, Creativity, and Mental Health: Emily James

In this podcast I talk with Emily James, an indie singer, songwriter and producer about music, creativity and mental health. We discuss the unfortunately high prevalence of mental illness in the music industry and the factors that underlie this, including the constant comparisons among artists and levels of success, the financial burdens and insecurities, the impact of social media, and so on. We also discuss the ways that music can be therapeutic and can enhance wellbeing, both for the musician and for the listener. And we explore the psychology of creativity itself. In particular, Emily describes how creating music is allows her to process experiences and discover meaning and purpose in them. She also describes how, when it resonates with listeners, it makes her feel very connected and very fulfilled. This prosocial joy is central to her motivation to keep going and keep creating. Emily describes the very practical ways in which she keeps balanced, staying intentional, prioritising what’s good for her, and how being a middle-class musician, one who makes a living doing what she loves, is so good for her emotionally and creatively. It was a delightful conversation full of practical insights.