Maria Popova provides some excerpts about music, madness and therapy from the new book, Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words, from the iconic Canadian folk-jazz singer-songwriter and eight-time Grammy recipient. “I went through a lot of changes about [therapy],” says Mitchell. “It’s like driving out your devils — do you drive out your angels as well, you know, that whole thing about the creative process.”
“An artist needs a certain amount of turmoil and confusion, and I’ve created out of that,” says Mitchell. “It’s been part of the creative force. I mean, even out of severe depression there comes insight, if you meditate on it. It’s sort of masochistic to dwell on it, but you do gain understanding.”
The article also includes a link to Mitchell’s version of “Twisted,” a song about psychotherapy.
Joni Mitchell on Therapy and the Creative Mind (BrainPickings, October 9, 2014)
