Alchemy: Transmuting Depression & Rejection Through the Lens of Claude Monet

Claude Monet & Transmuting Depression Through Beauty

This past year, I had to take the opportunity to experience the Monet Immersive being named after my favorite artist, Claude Monet. Standing amidst his masterpieces, I was stunned by a part of his life that I had completely forgotten about. Before the Impressionist movement was born, Monet struggled with debt and poverty. He had been cut off by his family, had just had a son with his lover, Camille, and was devastated when his artwork was rejected by the Salon, the premier art exhibition in Paris that could make or break an artist’s career. So he attempted suicide by throwing himself into the Seine River.

Remembering this chapter in his life, I wondered, what would the world be like without the beauty and innovation Monet contributed? Would we visit Giverny and Monet’s celebrated gardens had he not lived there and created some of his most famous work? And what would Paris be like without Musee de L’Orangerie (originally inaugurated as Musee Claude Monet as he had enormous input into the architectural design that houses his Water Lilies series) or Musee Marmottan? Would Impressionism even exist as we know it?

The Impressionist movement was a co-creation with other artists in response to the stringent rules of the Salon. It is said that Renoir invited Monet around this challenging period to come paint with him. Many believe their artistic explorations together became the breeding ground for the Impressionist movement.

When I look at Monet, I can’t imagine a world where he did not exist and share his gifts. Like Monet, we all have something beautiful to offer in some unique way. And like Monet, most of us experience a dark night of the soul, if not many, and it’s important to remember when you’re in it — it’s a wave that will eventually break. The heavy emotions, depression and unprocessed pain (many times, deep grief) peak and fall off in the same way that each wave in the ocean crests. In these painful moments, remind yourself to ride the wave out… It WILL crest. But you have to feel it FULLY and be present through the wave of emotion for it to peak and break entirely.

Monet suffered depressive episodes throughout his life. He found a kind of healing balm in beauty, nature and artistic expression, which gave him the resilience and presence to transcend his life circumstances.

Like Monet, find the beauty in your surroundings. Beauty in any form is healing, and Mother Nature is medicine. Spending time outdoors, whether it’s taking a 5 minute break to get a breath of fresh air or a walk, soothes the soul. Even the simple act of surrounding yourself with fresh flowers, a potted plant or an inspiring piece of art will enliven your spirit and enhance your environment.

Find expression in whatever medium moves you & brings you pleasure. While it could be an artistic endeavor, it could be something very simple like cooking a beautiful meal, baking something with love, creating a flower arrangement, dancing, organizing something like your closet or refrigerator to bring more simplicity and ease into your day. Think outside the box. The important takeaway is to give your emotions expression in some external way whether that be writing in your journal, screaming into a pillow, slamming a tennis ball across the court or doing a 5 minute breathwork session to your favorite song.

Surround yourself with a support system that wants to see you succeed—Monet was blessed to be surrounded by a group of artists who didn’t see him as competition, but as an inspiration that contributed to the whole.

And as Monet’s life demonstrates, know there is a reason for your suffering. It is not in vain, although it may certainly feel like it in the moment. Many of life’s mysteries will not make sense until much later when you put the pieces of the puzzle together. Look at all the circumstances in Monet’s life that led up to the necessity and creation of the Impressionist movement, such as being rejected by the Salon and wanting to end his life only to transcend the limits through beauty, ingenuity and the courage to persist.

Lastly, some perspective:

Rejection is simply ONE point of view.

It is not *THE* only point of view or even the truth.

For much, if not most of Monet’s life, critics and the public thought Monet’s paintings were “unfinished" and “ugly.” Imagine that. 😂

Claude Monet and Alchemizing the Challenges of Life