The Correlation between Creativity and Madness

INTRODUCTION: Brief comment on the subject matter leading to thesis statement

There lies a link between creativity and madness and the association stems from the need of an unconventional thought process to spark creativity and biological factors surrounding the brains of both creative individuals, and mentally ill patients.

Could it be Madness?

A correlation between a more creative individual and a mentally ill patient exists, and it is highly likeable that the former could be the latter. The issue of whether great mental abilities, whether it’s creativity in crafts such as arts or literature, or high intellectual skills in engineering or sciences, is linked to madness and melancholy has always been a controversy; a cultural notion that has been persistently debated. This relationship has been argued upon beginning in the early Greek civilization where even in pre-historic Greek myths, a relation between madness and creativity is presented in the mythical gods of the Olympians. Dionysian [the son of Zeus], as noted by Kay Redfield Jamison (1996), an acknowledged psychologist presenting intriguing findings in her research linking creativity to mental disorders, is one of the first cases to look at when comparing melancholy to creativity. Dionysian was of pure genius in his creation and art, as noted by Jamison, but he was also known for his excess use of force and his aggressiveness toward his people to the point that he was thought to be insane; he became not only a symbol of creativity, but he also symbolized insanity. Moreover, the link between madness and talent has also been noted by the great Greek philosopher Plato as he believed that poets are driven by a touch of insanity as noted by (Gayford, 2007). Aristotle, a Greek ...

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...mentally ill, will have a near relative who is down with a mental disorder. Furthermore, he adds by noting how famous scientists and creative individual such as Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, and Bertrand Russell have all been said to have mentally ill relatives with schizophrenia. Moreover, the argument of genes being the reason behind the relation has become more convincing as in recent studies, neuregulin 1, a gene which plays a major role in enhancing the capability of communication between neurons in the brain, which, in its turn, strengthens the brains ability of comprehending, has been found to be the missing link between mental disorders and creativity (Isanski, 2009). Not only that it enhances the brains ability in understanding, but it also improves the chances that an individual might develop psychotic illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.