Many artists and creative types have a daily struggle choosing between general angst, ennui, weltschmerz or merely sinking into an existential funk due to the futility of all life. For many it is too hard a decision to make leaving them to fall into one option or another indiscriminately. Following many years of gushing anguish we’re here to answer the question for you. Also the clue is probably in the title.
Both Angst and Weltschmerz are German words used to describe the crushing despondency felt amongst people who have to live in the north of Europe. Angst comes from an Indo-European word meaning “unlubed”, tight or constricted and describes the emotions of anxiety and despair such as one would experience on been violently bludgeoned with a 12 inch bulbous strapon. Weltschmerz however comes from the term “world pain”, the feeling that many German’s experience when no matter their contribution to the world within the arts, literature, science, sports everyone from other nations still looks upon them as “those guys that started two world wars”.
Ennui is a French word, if for a moment you can imagine how sick of the French the rest of us are, think about how they feel waking up each day being French. That emotion is what the word ennui was created for.
For centuries artists and musicians have been able to tap into the rich seam of inner pain but precious few have managed to maintain a sustained level of monetary success from it. Those that have tend to live short, sad lives punctuated by a brilliant burst of maudlin creativity. The ones who survive seem to be permanently damaged by the process and never seem to regain previous levels of success, falling into a numb, self-medicated existence. Others, such as the one in our illustration, are just about to blow their fucking brains out.