You have touched on one of the main reasons that many, many artists complain about
in regard to taking psychotropic medications: they dull the keen imagination required
in creative work. It's often described as a kind of "fog" that clouds the mind. Considerable
discussion of the treatment of bipolar artists has been given to this subject in
"Touched With Fire" by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison.

Artistic creativity is one of the gifts of bipolar illness, and it has a long history of
contributions to society.

I sensed that imaginative power in your earlier post when you mentioned that you
just described bipolar illness as "seeing colors brighter and more intensely than others"---or something similar.

Hopefully, as we change our diets over time (learning all the new things about Omega
3 fatty acids for brain function improvement, etc.) we will be able to reduce the dosage
level of medications; that may increase the creative energy and sensitivity required
for artistic work.

There is definite proof that bipolar illness may carry a giftedness for some, especially in the creative arts; I suspect, however, that it is prevalent, as Pearl Buck suggests, in many fields.

Cheer up. With your pro-active interest and concern about the "fogginess" of psychotropic
medication side effects, you may be able to alter that considerably with changes in your
diet, proper rest schedule, and exercise.

Please remember that artists are people who often function at high levels of creativity and then alternate with long periods of rest. It just does with the territory. You may need to
take that into consideration while you're considering which career you want.

Take care.