The link between mental illness and the art

For me personally art has always been my sense of escapism or solve in let’s say dark times, providing me with the feeling that I can be understood, that I can feel safe that I can express my true feelings when it has often not been safe to do so anywhere else but with a pen and paper or even on a paper napkin with a pen, but it’s got me wondering if art is often an escape or release for me negative emotions and thoughts and feelings particularly, when I have been at my most unwell I have always created my best artworks. Leaves the question, all the great artists out there who have come before were all a little bit mad in there own way weren’t they so what In their own heads were they so badly trying to escape from? because from great pain comes great beauty so my conclusion is they suffered some great pain. I wondering the statistics on creativity and mental illness? A question and post to be continued as always

Blessed be