History Main / CreatorRecovery

** The following album, ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', is a sequel to ''Music/TheMarshallMathersLP'', Eminem's [[TheDissTrack meanest]] and most [[UnfortunateImplications offensive]] album, but only aims to capture the humour and playfulness of the early work, rather than the [[BloodyHilarious violence]]. The [[ConceptAlbum concept of the album]] is that it's a second chance after being murdered by a LoonyFan, and much of the album deals with him apologising for all the awful things he said through Slim, and extending an olive branch to his abusive mother.

* Sadly averted by Creator/DouglasAdams, who stated that he was going through a [[CreatorBreakdown rough patch]] when writing the fifth ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' book and set out to [[WhatMightHaveBeen write a sixth]] to correct the last one's DownerEnding. Unfortunately, he suffered an DiedDuringProduction before it could be completed. A sixth Hitchhiker book was later written by Creator/EoinColfer, to mixed reviews.

* Because Shisegato Itoi was suffering from heavy depression while developing ''Earthbound 64'', the game was initially going to be much darker in tone. By the time the game became ''VideoGame/MOTHER3'', Itoi had mostly recovered from it, and the game's tone became suitably lighter.

* Creator/GenUrobuchi. In ''LightNovel/FateZero''[='=]s afterword he wrote that he wanted to write a heartwarming story one day, but couldn't because of his "tragedy syndrome". Then came ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' [[spoiler: where he does manage to write something heartwarming exactly as he described in the ''Fate Zero'''s afterword.]] Since then, his later works have fallen more on the idealistic end, such as (the admittedly still dark) ''Anime/PsychoPass'' and ''Anime/GargantiaOnTheVerdurousPlanet''. It probably helps that ''Madoka Magica'' has put him on the map as a writer of television shows. Even when he wrote [[Series/KamenRiderGaim one of the darkest Kamen Rider shows of]] TheNewTens and [[spoiler: [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion Madoka Rebellion]] [[HappyEndingOverride took a fire ax to the bittersweet ending of the series]]]], they managed to be idealistic to a degree.

** While difficult to describe it as a ''recovery'' considering how the material on the album is inspired by his increasingly chaotic personal life, Eminem stated that the reduced violence, drugs and button-pushing on ''Music/TheEminemShow'' was because, after his assault conviction, he'd mostly got his HairTriggerTemper under control (from the shock of thinking he could lose his daughter, and also because he'd benefited from the court-mandated therapy). The regular drug tests he had as part of his probation deal also [[QuirkyWork prevented him from using drugs and alcohol]], which made him a lot more emotionally stable.
** While his next album ''Encore'' is '''definitely''' a product of a breakdown rather than a recovery [[note]]it was recorded around the time that Eminem's Ambien addiction was seriously impacting his ability and content[[/note]], it was recorded around the time his personal life had settled down, with him living in a state of relative peace with Kim and walking away from the beefs he'd been pointlessly escalating. It opens with a song in which Slim states, "''[[BeingEvilSucks I don't want to be Satan-spawn!]]''", contains numerous thoughtful, mature and emotional songs in which Eminem apologises for his terrible behaviour ("Yellow Brick Road", "Like Toy Soldiers"), a few love songs, and the shock content on the album is based on [[BigStupidDoodooHead playgroundy]] PottyHumor, punching-up mockery of abusers and bullies, and even PoliticalRap rather than on homophobia, misogyny or violence.

** While difficult to describe it as a ''recovery'' considering how the material on the album is inspired by his increasingly chaotic personal life, Eminem stated that the reduced violence, drugs and button-pushing on ''Music/TheEminemShow'' was because, after his assault conviction, he'd mostly got his HairTriggerTemper under control (from the shock of thinking he could lose his daughter, and also because he'd benefited from the court-mandated therapy). The regular drug tests he had as part of his probation deal also [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs prevented him from using drugs and alcohol]], which made him a lot more emotionally stable.

* [[Wrestling/MattHardy Matt.]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Hardy.]] In 2005, after learning that his longtime girlfriend Wrestling/{{Lita}} cheated on him with his close friend Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}}, he was engaged in a rather public and ugly war between them and eventually the WWE, who would fire him due to ''complaining about it'' as their own careers skyrocketed. Then after seemingly [[HopeSpot gaining a new life in TNA,]] he burns bridges with that company as well due to getting a DUI and soon devolved into a complete joke with his fans due to faking a suicide note disguised as a "rebirth". Sometime later, he found love again with fellow wrestler Reby Sky (with whom he would eventually have three children), eventually introduced a crazed "Broken" character (partially inspired by what he had went through), became '''exceedingly''' popular with fans and has gotten steady work for several companies, ''including'' the two aforementioned ones, ever since, [[HesBack regaining back his previous reputation and then some.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Creator/ShiaLaBeouf wrote the screenplay for ''Honey Boy'' while in rehabilitation and admits it really helped him heal.

* [[Wrestling/MattHardy Matt.]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Hardy.]] In 2005, after learning that his longtime girlfriend Wrestling/{{Lita}} cheated on him with his close friend Wrestling/{{Edge}}, he was engaged in a rather public and ugly war between them and eventually the WWE, who would fire him due to ''complaining about it'' as their own careers skyrocketed. Then after seemingly [[HopeSpot gaining a new life in TNA,]] he burns bridges with that company as well due to getting a DUI and soon devolved into a complete joke with his fans due to faking a suicide note disguised as a "rebirth". Sometime later, he found love again with fellow wrestler Reby Sky (with whom he would eventually have three children), eventually introduced a crazed "Broken" character (partially inspired by what he had went through), became '''exceedingly''' popular with fans and has gotten steady work for several companies, ''including'' the two aforementioned ones, ever since, [[HesBack regaining back his previous reputation and then some.]]

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1622067887083201700
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* In-universe example: Ryu Shizuka from ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'' writes dystopian fiction, but after his editor takes him to a cabaret where he talks to women for the first time, his main character slowly starts spending most of his time with a harem of hot women. After the editor shows him the women were only nice to him because they got paid, Shizuka becomes disillusioned again and continues writing about how all HumansAreBastards (even women).
* Creator/GenUrobuchi. In ''LightNovel/FateZero''[='=]s afterword he wrote that he wanted to write a heartwarming story one day, but couldn't because of his "tragedy syndrome". Then came ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' [[spoiler: where he does manage to write something heartwarming exactly as he described in the ''Fate Zero'''s afterword.]] Since then, his later works have fallen more on the idealistic end, such as (the admittedly still dark) ''Anime/PsychoPass'' and ''Anime/GargantiaOnTheVerdurousPlanet''. It probably helps that ''Madoka Magica'' has put him on the map as a writer of television shows. Even when he wrote [[Series/KamenRiderGaim one of the darkest Kamen Rider shows of]] TheNewTens and [[spoiler: [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion Madoka Rebellion]] [[HappyEndingOverride took a fire ax to the bittersweet ending of the series]]]], they managed to be idealistic to a degree.
* Creator/YoshiyukiTomino. Try comparing the bleakness of ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'', which was made at a particularly low point in his depression, and ''Anime/TurnAGundam'', done after he overcame it.

* ''Manga/AhAndMmAreAllSheSays'' has this InUniverse, and unusually, at the beginning of the work. ''Cityscape'', the oneshot Toda pitches to Tanaka at the beginning of the series, is seen by Nishi as expressing Toda's own frustration and distrust of society. Her subsequent works are more joyous in tone, reflecting the fact that Toda is, in fact, slowly recovering.

* Sophie Campbell, creator of ''ComicBook/WetMoon'' and ''ComicBook/{{Shadoweyes}}'', fell into a funk around 2011, after the strain of being a closeted trans woman became more than she could bear. Since coming out as trans, she's made a recovery and is now being hailed for her work on the ''ComicBook/JemAndTheHologramsIDW'' series.

* Creator/ShiaLaBeouf wrote the screenplay for ''Honey Boy'' while in rehabilitation and admits it really helped him heal.
* Creator/ShaneBlack wrote ''Film/TheLastBoyScout'' after having taken a two-year break from writing, triggered in part by the end of a relationship.
-->I was busy mourning my life and, in many ways, the loss of my first real love. I 'feel much like doing anything except smoking cigarettes and reading paperbacks. All things come around. Time passed and eventually I sat down and transformed some of that bitterness into a character, the central focus of a private eye story which became ''The Last Boy Scout''. Writing that script was a very cathartic experience, one of the best experiences I've ever had. I spent so much time alone working on that. Days which I wouldn’t speak. Three, four days where I maybe said a couple words. It was a wonderfully intense time where my focus was better than it's ever been. And I was rewarded so handsomely ($1.75 million) for that script, if felt like a vindication and like I was back on track.

* Creator/DavidDrake's fiction after ''Literature/{{Redliners}}'' is less harsh and more optimistic, with a little more faith in humanity. [[http://david-drake.com/2002/redliners/ Author's comments]].

* Creator/BillieLourd was cast in ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCult'' around the time her mother Creator/CarrieFisher and grandmother Creator/DebbieReynolds both passed away. She says filming the show and playing Winter helped her recover from their deaths and heal. She even credits Creator/RyanMurphy for saving her life by casting her.

* Music/PetShopBoys' album ''Very'' was more upbeat and exuberant than their prior albums (especially its immediate predecessor, the gloomy, reflective ''Behaviour''), owing to singer/lyricist Neil Tennant being in love at the time. It is sometimes referred to as their "coming-out" album, as Tennant had begun openly discussing his homosexuality for the first time during this period.

* {{Music/Starflyer 59}}'s album ''Gold'' was written and recorded while Jason Martin was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, due to the messy ends of several friendships and the stress of recording the album practically by himself. For the follow-up album, ''Americana'', Jason Martin had a full band playing with him and producer Gene Eugene to help with the duties of recording, so it was a much more "fun" rock album. It's probably not a coincidence that Jason switched to playing New Wave music and almost entirely abandoned guitar distortion shortly afterward.
* ''With Teeth,'' the fifth major release by Music/NineInchNails (following the intensely bleak ''The Downward Spiral'' and ''The Fragile''), could quite justifiably be considered this for [[IAmTheBand Trent Reznor]], who indeed admitted in an interview around the time of the album's release that he has been "pretty happy." Reinforcing this is the fact that Trent surprised many fans by returning from his hiatus [[HeroicBuild quite ripped]], and that he would end up getting married (to Mariqueen Maandig, with whom he now creates music in Music/HowToDestroyAngels) four years later.
* The quality of Music/OzzyOsbourne's albums are closely tied to his own happiness in the period they were made. ''Blizzard of Ozz'' and ''Diary of a Madman'' were the first time in years that he was having fun doing music, while ''No More Tears'' was made when Ozzy was finally able to move past the controversy and personal strife he experienced in the 1980s.
* Music/AvrilLavigne composed her second album "Under My Skin" while going through a bad break-up and it was full of DarkerAndEdgier material. She expressed regret over that and her next album "The Best Damn Thing" was in her own words "trying to have fun in music again", and it featured a lot more upbeat songs.

* Music/MarinaDiamandis' first two albums, ''The Family Jewels'' and ''Electra Heart'', are considerably negative, mostly focusing on her experience feeling hopeless and unloved and how she became TheCasanova to circumvent this, but still feels empty. ''Froot'', on the other hand, is decidedly more upbeat and positive, with the song "Happy" even [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] this trope.

* Music/PearlJam spent the George W. Bush administrations doing angry, politically charged and pessimistic music, with ''Riot Act'' and the SelfTitledAlbum for the latter. In 2009, with the end of Dubya's presidency and Barack Obama's election, the band released the much happier-sounding and hopeful ''Backspacer''.
* Also in 2009, Music/GreenDay had ''Music/TwentyFirstCenturyBreakdown'', a critical RockOpera much like predecessor ''Music/AmericanIdiot'', but it at least ends on a hopeful note (partially inspired by the political change) compared to the other's DownerEnding.
* Music/{{Metallica}} had a very public CreatorBreakdown that spawned ''St. Anger'', that as a result sounds abrasive in both sound (lacking solos and with trashcan-sounding drums) and lyrics (angsty and depressing). Once they were content with their lives again, the result was ''Death Magnetic'', sounding closer to their earlier albums and with lyrics [[WordSaladLyrics cryptic]] but not brooding.

* Music/JohnLennon was just entering this when he recorded ''Double Fantasy'' in 1980, which was expressing his hopes for the near future before he was tragically murdered only weeks after its release.
* Music/JethroTull's ''Songs From The Wood'' came after frontman Ian Anderson met his second wife, and the mother of his daughter, and is easily the band's happiest album, especially compared to its predecessor, ''Too Old to Rock and Roll: Too Young to Die''.
* Music/PorterRobinson experienced a bout of creative burnout following the release of his debut album ''Worlds'' in 2014, in turn resulting in a years-long depression from [[ToughActToFollow not knowing where to go next]]. Eventually he rediscovered his calling and set sights for his following album in 2021, titled ''nurture'', which retains the introspective tone of ''Worlds'', but took a much gentler, more life-affirming, and prosperous tone.

* ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'' has an InUniverse reference to this when Toko Fukawa, the Ultimate Writer, takes a moment to wonder if her writing is going to suffer now that she's become happy through her friendship with Komaru. Her belief is that great writing [[TrueArtIsAngsty comes from the depressed and the downtrodden]] because even when they write a happy love story (like hers) it will never be shallow, vacuous drivel, as those types of writers are still able to perfectly envision how an ideal world should look. At the end of the conversation, she determines that her natural talent will make up for it.

* [[Wrestling/MattHardy Matt.]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Hardy.]] In 2005, after learning that his longtime girlfriend Wrestling/{{Lita}} cheated on him with his close friend Wrestling/{{Edge}}, he was engaged in a rather public and ugly war between them and eventually the WWE, who would fire him due to ''complaining about it'' as their own careers skyrocketed. Then after seemingly [[HopeSpot gaining a new life in TNA,]] he burns bridges with that company as well due to getting a DUI and soon devolved into a complete joke with his fans due to faking a suicide note disguised as a "rebirth". Sometime later, he found love again with fellow wrestler Reby Sky (with whom he would eventually have three children), eventually introduced a crazed "Broken" character (partially inspired by what he had went through), became '''exceedingly''' popular with fans and has gotten steady work for several companies, ''including'' the two aforementioned ones, ever since, [[HesBack regaining back his previous reputation and then some.]]

** While his next album ''Encore'' is '''definitely''' a product of a breakdown rather than a recovery [[note]]it was recorded around the time that Eminem's Ambien addiction was seriously impacting his ability and content[[/note]], it reaffirms his rejection of violence. It opens with a song in which Slim states, "''[[BeingEvilSucks I don't want to be Satan-spawn!]]''", contains numerous thoughtful, mature and emotional songs in which Eminem apologises for his terrible behaviour ("Yellow Brick Road", "Like Toy Soldiers"), a few love songs, and the shock content on the album is based on [[BigStupidDoodooHead playgroundy]] PottyHumor and even PoliticalRap rather than on homophobia, misogyny or violence.

Keep in mind that CreatorBreakdown and Creator Recovery may be opposites, but are not mutually exclusive, and it's not uncommon for both things to happen at the same time in various aspects of a creator's life. For example, an artist might recover from a physical illness that negatively impacted their ability to make works, but develop a mental illness that makes the works they ''are'' doing weird and depressing in tone; an artist might split from a toxic relationship with someone who wouldn't let them create, and channel their hurt into MuseAbuse revenge fantasies; and becoming rich can remove an artist from a stressful material situation but also give them a lot more money to spend on addictive drugs.

Keep in mind that CreatorBreakdown and Creator Recovery may be opposites, but are not mutually exclusive, and it's not uncommon for both things to happen at the same time. For example, an artist might recover from a physical illness that negatively impacted their ability to make works, but develop a mental illness that makes the works they ''are'' doing weird and depressing in tone; someone's love life can implode at the same time they learn to love themselves; and becoming rich can remove an artist from a stressful material situation but also give them a lot more money to spend on addictive drugs.

* The former page image is British TV presenter Creator/CharlieBrooker, whose notoriously downtrodden, cynical and at times genuinely very dark and heartbroken material has, if not entirely taken a more upbeat turn, is now less constantly depressing after his marriage to Konnie Huq, a former Blue Peter presenter. [[SelfDeprecation He doesn't know how this happened, either]].

** While difficult to describe it as a ''recovery'' considering how the material on the album is inspired by his increasingly chaotic personal life, Eminem stated that the reduced violence, drugs and button-pushing on ''Music/TheEminemShow'' was because, after his assault conviction, he'd mostly got his HairTriggerTemper under control (from the shock of thinking he could lose his daughter, and also because he'd benefited from the court-mandated therapy). The regular drug tests he had as part of his probation deal also prevented him from using drugs and alcohol, which made him a lot more emotionally stable.
** While his next album ''Encore'' is '''definitely''' a product of a breakdown rather than a recovery [[note]]it was recorded around the time that Eminem's Ambien addiction was seriously impacting his ability and content[[/note]], it reaffirms his rejection of violence. It opens with a song in which Slim states, "''[[BeingEvilSucks I don't want to be Satan-spawn!]]''", contains numerous thoughtful, mature and emotional songs in which Eminem apologises for his terrible behaviour ("Yellow Brick Road", "Like Toy Soldiers"), a few love songs, and the shock content on the album is based on [[BigStupidDoodooHead playgroundy]] PottyHumor and even PoliticalRap rather than on homophobia, misogyny or violence.

This is the {{Opposite Trope|s}} to CreatorBreakdown and, just as with that trope, WordOfGod examples are required for it to qualify. However, Breakdown and Recovery are not mutually exclusive, and it's not uncommon for both things to happen at the same time. For example, an artist's mental health can recover at the same time as their physical health deteriorates, their love life can implode at the same time they learn to love themselves, and becoming rich can remove an artist from stressful material situations but also give them a lot more money to spend on addictive drugs.

See also ToneShift, LighterAndSofter, KinderAndCleaner, DarkerAndEdgier and TrueArtIsAngsty. Compare CareerResurrection, when the creator returns to form after a period of diminished reputation or below-par work.[[note]]Career Resurrection is a creator's work going back to being good after being bad. Creator Recovery is a creator's work becoming more cheerful after being depressing.[[/note]]

** ''Music/TheSlimShadyLP'', while maintaining the {{Horrorcore}} subject matter of the original ''Slim Shady EP'', goes into a much more playful place, incorporating a lot of [[{{Toon}} cartoony]] SubvertedKidsShow elements, [[EstablishingCharacterMoment opening with Slim as a schoolteacher]] [[TheCorruptor corrupting]] a group of happy children and incorporating a concept song about a GoodAngelBadAngel pair, a school bully revenge fantasy, and even a CowboyEpisode. The sound of the album is also more poppy and cheerful as well, ditching the heavily bitcrushed ''Film/AClockworkOrange''-inspired classical music samples of ''EP'' for springy, boingy funk and pop beats. This is because, between albums, Eminem got signed by Music/DrDre, finally had money, and was recovering from the suicidal depression he'd been in when he'd made ''EP''.
** While difficult to describe it as a ''recovery'' considering how the material on the album is inspired by his chaotic personal life, Eminem has said that the reduced violence, drugs and button-pushing on ''Music/TheEminemShow'' was because, after his assault conviction, he'd mostly got his HairTriggerTemper under control (from the shock of thinking he could lose his daughter, and also because he'd benefited from the court-mandated therapy). The regular drug tests he had as part of his probation deal also prevented him from using drugs and alcohol, which made him a lot more emotionally stable. While his followup album ''Encore'' is '''definitely''' a product of a breakdown rather than a recovery, it reaffirms his rejection of violence. It opens with a song in which Slim states, "''I don't want to be Satan-spawn!''", contains numerous thoughtful, mature and emotional songs in which Eminem apologises for his terrible behaviour ("Yellow Brick Road", "Like Toy Soldiers"), and what shock content is on the album is based on [[BigStupidDoodooHead playground]] PottyHumor and even PoliticalRap rather than on homophobia, misogyny or violence.
** ''Relapse'' is a ConceptAlbum about Eminem's drug-addicted CreatorBreakdown through [[AllegoricalCharacter the lens of]] an AddledAddict SerialKiller [[SameCharacterButDifferent incarnation of Slim Shady]], but the fact that he was even able to make the album at all is a testament to how much better he was doing. During his addiction, he'd had near-total writer's block to the extent that he ''couldn't even rhyme'' any more; once he was clean he experienced a creative glut and recorded ''hundreds'' of songs in a spurt. This was intended to be ''Relapse'' and ''Relapse 2'', but ''Relapse 2'' eventually changed to a more optimistic tone and became ''Recovery'', in which he fully embraced his happier state of mind and CareerResurrection and even did some BoastfulRap about it. The first single off ''Recovery'' was the uplifting "Not Afraid".

This is the {{Opposite Trope|s}} to CreatorBreakdown and, just as with that trope, WordOfGod examples are required for it to qualify. However, Breakdown and Recovery are not mutually exclusive, and it's not uncommon for both things to happen at the same time. For example, an artist's mental health can recover at the same time as their physical health deteriorates, and becoming rich can remove an artist from stressful material situations but also give them a lot more money to spend on addictive drugs.

See also ToneShift, LighterAndSofter, DarkerAndEdgier and TrueArtIsAngsty. Compare CareerResurrection, when the creator returns to form after a period of diminished reputation or below-par work.[[note]]Career Resurrection is a creator's work going back to being good after being bad. Creator Recovery is a creator's work becoming more cheerful after being depressing.[[/note]]

This is the {{Opposite Trope|s}} to CreatorBreakdown and, just as with that trope, WordOfGod examples are required for it to qualify.

** Eminem was going to create a direct sequel to his {{Horrorcore}} album ''Relapse'', titling it ''Relapse 2''. Along the way, he changed his tone and even showed things were better for him by naming the album ''Recovery''. The first single off the album was the uplifting "Not Afraid".