For generations creative people have dealt with the stigma of mental disorder often attributed to them. The "mad" scientist, frenzied artist and profoundly intense writer; all have been common judgments of these professions for years. Despite the prevalence of these beliefs, psychological studies in this field have been sparse and often inadequate. To fill this investigative void, Ruth Richards and Dennis Kinney, Nancy Andreasen, and Kay Jamison developed studies to examine the link between creativity and mood disorders more completely and accurately.
Early studies of this social stereotyping phenomenon were largely anecdotal, relying on the unconfirmed psychological diagnosis of creative individuals post-mortem. Examples of this include William Blake, Lord Byron, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson who were suspected to have had radical mood swings. Painters like Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O'Keeffe, Charles Mingus, and Robert Schumann were similarly afflicted. Modern writers' mental states have also been studied with the aid of verifiable evidence. John Berryman, Randal Jarrell, Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, Theodore Roethke, and Anne Sexton were all hospitalized for mania or depression (Jamison, 1995). Jamison notes that "a high number of established artists- far more than can be expected by chance- meet the diagnostic criteria for manic depression or major depression...In fact, it seems that these diseases sometimes enhance or otherwise contribute to creativity in some people" (Jamison, 1995). It is not enough, however, to rely on frequency alone to support the link between creativity and mood disorders.
Recent studies have attempted to demonstrate this in a more concrete way with studies of mo...
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... Unquiet Mind, p.72). Such unique ideas and associations provide significant evidence for aid in all types of creativity.
The link between creativity and mood disorders has developed from a social stigma to a well supported reality. The recent studies by Richards and Kinney, Andreasen and Jamison provide verifiable data to support the association and Jamison's novel provides an insider's look at how manic depression can facilitate creativity. What does this connection mean for the future of mood disorders and for artists? Jamison is particularly concerned about asserting the link, weary that patients will cease taking their medication in order to stay creative and productive (Jamison, 1995). Despite these fears and despite the studies' individual weaknesses, the evidence of a link between moderate mental illness and creativity is clear and well supported.
Shaughnessy, M. F., & Wakefield, J. F. (2003). Creativity: Assessment. In N. Piotrowski & T. Irons-Georges (Eds.), Magill's encyclopedia of social science:Psychology (pp. 459-463). Pasadena, CA: Salem Press. Van Hoose, W.H. (1980).
However, it is not only the subject matter of his music which provides evidence of him experience such mood and mental disorders. His behavior and personal experiences provides much evidence for this as well. He has long had difficulty connecting and relating to others in a social capacity. He has often found himself plagued with feelings of being unworthy and
Symptoms of mental illness vary and may affect a person’s mood, thinking, and social interaction with others. In comparison to the documentary, Nina Simone has a reputation of being moody and angry to which later she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. There were certain situations in the film where she would write down suicidal thoughts in her journal during her depression and people in the film would recall times where she would have fits of anger throughout her life that affected her career. Evidently, the mental behavior of a person is something that could affect their position in society. In the case of Nina Simone, her mental behavior has affected all aspects of her life regarding her musical career and relationships to which it negatively impacted her career, relationships, and people’s perception of Nina Simone during her life.
Sherman Alexie briefly touched on illness during this interview about how it affects him from day to day and how it influences his writing. In his interview, he talks about how in manic states, several artists and poets create some of their best works during these episodes. Alexie was born with hydrocephalus which challenged him until about age seven. When he was in school, he found comfort in books proceeding to read everything available. I find this interesting as when he was young he could have gone down a completely different path and we wouldn’t
Richard Florida also goes on to say that creativity is energy-absorbing, tiring work. To come to think of it, it can be very laborious. My husband likes to design clothing, and sometimes he stares into space for hours daydreaming. Suddenly, he’d sprint into the bedroom, grab his notebook and start drawing. He could eat up a whole pencil, eraser and all, for that one drawing. Beads of sweat would form on his brow, and the nerve in the middle of his forehead would protrude. And I’d know to keep our daughter away and leave him at peace. You see, I think my husband is creative. He’s got a great sense of humor, and he’s an artist.
Van Gogh’s works have been deeply considered and examined to unfold the mysteries of his mental illness. It was in Arles, southern France of 1888 where Van Gogh was an accomplished artist on his own, but still not having had much notice, when his me...
beyond the bounds of what already is known or deductible by reason . . .
A 1949 study of 113 German artists, writers, architects, and composers was one of the first to undertake an extensive, in-depth investigation of both artists and their relatives. Although two-thirds of the 113 artists and writers were "psychically normal," there were more suicides and "insane and neurotic" individuals in the artistic group than could be expected in the general population, with the highest rates of psychiatric abnormality found in poets (50%) and musicians (38%). (1) Many other similar tests revealed th...
Redfield Jamison explores the compelling connection between mental disorders and artistic creativity. Artists have long been considered different from the general population, and one often hears tales of authors, painters, and composers who both struggle with and are inspired by their "madness". Jamison's text explores these stereotypes in a medical context, attributing some artists' irrational behaviors to mental disorders, particularly manic-depressive illness. In order to establish this link, Jamison presents an impressive collection of artists who have suffered from mental illness, whether diagnosed correctly during their lifetime or discovered in hindsight. Well organized and interesting, Jamison provides an ideal introduction to this still
Shaughnessy, M. F., & Wakefield, J. F. (2003). Creativity: Assessment. In N. Piotrowski & T. Irons-Georges (Eds.), Magill's encyclopedia of social science:Psychology (pp. 459-463). Pasadena, CA: Salem Press.
Introduction There are many studies that show how music therapy helps people with mood disorders. People with depression can benefit from music therapy because through music therapy, they can lessen the symptoms of depression. In the studies and cases that will be mentioned, we can see that music therapy is effective through methods like group therapy. It is shown that people with depression that go through music therapy are affected in a positive way. Overview of Mood Disorders Mood disorders are a class of behavioral-emotional disorders labeled as disruption in mood.
Abraham, A., Pieritz, K., Thybusch, K., Rutter, B., Kröger, S., Schweckendiek, J., … Hermann, C. (2012). Creativity and the brain: Uncovering the neural signature of conceptual expansion. Neuropsychologia, 50(8), 1906–1917. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.04.015
Nolley , S. (1999). A piagetian perspective on the dialectic process of creativity. Taylor &
The link between creativity and mental illnesses is a topic that has been debated for centuries. The great philosophers Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle all discussed the connection as well. Even in today’s society, there is an ever-present stereotype that creative individuals (i.e. poets, writers, artists, designers, etc.) suffer from bouts of depression, mania, or mental illnesses. It is an age-old question: does depression/mania effect creativity? There is a lot of evidence that both supports and denies the truth behind this question. Some researchers believe the link between depression and creativity is strictly genetic while others believe there is none at all. The argument for this discussion will mostly support the argument that creativity is absolutely a result, cause, and remedy of mania. The manic-depressive illnesses discussed in this debate will mostly include bipolar disorder, mania, and depression. However, there are a lot of factors that play a role in this debate. To discuss, we must first define creativity, the creative process, manic-depressive illnesses, and rumination.
Creativity can be caused by certain states of mind or situations. One state of mind that can promote creativity is happiness or a positive mood. As said by PBS, “Creativity is less likely to be present with negative emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and anxiety; it is positively associated with positive emotions such as joy, love, and curiosity” (Creativity). This shows that with a positive attitude you can promote creativity. Along with promoting creativity, this link can also make us interested in the world around us and create even more happiness. To create happiness, you must pursue what you 're interested in and have a passion in that subject. This is agreed-upon in a TED talk where the speaker said, “So I always say to people, forget it. Like, if you don 't have an obvious passion, forget about it. Follow your curiosity because passion is sort of a tower of flame that is not always accessible” (Where Does Creativity Come From?). So in summary if you pursue your passion you can create happiness which in turn can create