It's usually difficult for me to tell when I'm manic, to me it just feels like a fabulous mood. Maybe a little amped and fidgety. But sleep is a big thing, that's how I can tell for sure. When I get 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night for several days and don't feel tired at all, I know something's up.

I mean, sure, there's other things to it. I'm more likely to start writing or painting... a lot. Or sometimes I do get strange ideas in my head, although they don't seem strange at the time. In the moment, were it not for the sleep issue, I would just think I was exceptionally motivated that day.