[Aviza]

Most creative people tap into drugs to enhance their creativity. I really only have to reduce my dosage to get inspired.

My mom actually mentioned that today.

[divine1966]

I am an artist. As exhibiting artist, not just locally and not just hang then in my bedroom. Never touched drugs or smoked pot. Don’t know how it feels. I don’t drink (well I had half a glass of wine at Christmas I think). I can’t imagune painting or drawing anything decent under influence. I have to have a steady hand and know what I am doing. Can’t imagine doing it without clear mind.

I heard antidepressants reduce creativity, while withdrawing brings it back

[~Christina]

What happens when you lower your meds.? Do you stay stable mental health wise?

[*Laurie*]

I'm also an artist. Just been through 3 weeks of mania, did a lot of really creative work, blew up at and let go of some false friends and a situation I was volunteering for that I was not pleased with. Colors have been AMAZING, creative ideas non-stop, piling up one on another. Yesterday the Lamictal kicked in...I quite literally felt it in my entire body. The rage I've been carrying dissipated, but my creative ideas went kind of...normal. I'm now having to work to achieve paint colors, whereas before the colors just happened.

I feel like crying. I AM crying. But I have to take the Lamictal because when the mania turns into depression life will get really bad.

I'm 55 and I have to keep learning it all, all over again.

I hear you, Aviza.

[ronmiller]

I think drugs give you an illusion of a fake world which may inspire some to draw them out on a canvas. But I am totally against this sort of enhancement.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by ronmiller

I think drugs give you an illusion of a fake world which may inspire some to draw them out on a canvas. But I am totally against this sort of enhancement.

The OP isn't posting about street drugs. She's referring to psychiatric medication.

Yes, psychiatric medication extremely reduces my motivation and ability to create. Never touched street drugs and I haven't noticed if alcohol increases creativity. I have considered ditching my medication on account I hate this fog (affects mental clarity as well as ability to make art). But I realise what a mess my life would be. When it does come to art I must force myself to do so as though I were undertaking an exercise. I am never happy with the finished products. They always seem to me to be lacking something.

[fishin fool]

Psych meds dull my creativity a lot.

[Unrigged64072835]

I've dropped one of my psych meds to the lowest dose, and I have been able to be both stable and creative.

I can say I've both been creative and not creative depending on which med I take.

[divine1966]

Oh post was about prescribed meds, I thought we are talking about street drugs. My bad. I have never been on any meds so I don’t pretend to know personally . But I do know professionally and dealing wit others on Meds that reducing or increasing your dose arbitrarily is dangerous

[eskielover]

Never did syreet drugs & psy meds I had such horrible effects from they all made me worse not better so chose to never try another psych med ever again. I get creative enough when I am normal & actually doing repairs around my house gets very creative in comibg up with a way to accomplish everything. Need a clear head & not fighting side effects for that

[Row Jimmy]

I used to write the best poems when I was high. Going back in time........

Here I sit,
In my personal pit,
Carrying on,
About my glorious wit,
But all I can do,
Is pitch a fit,
I asked her out,
But she said "split",
That Carrie Parsons,
Is a little snit,
All I want to do,
Is cop some t*t,
So give me a beer,
Or a catchers mitt.

[LadyShadow]

Meds definitely have dulled my creativity, however I am on a low enough dosage where I still have bursts of mania, where I can dive right back into it, mostly which is writing.

I do understand the allure of street drugs though, not for the purposes of getting high, but to spark creativity. It's apparent that many of the greatest musicians, poets, and artists were said to be "under some type of influence" in which they produced some of the greatest masterpieces that we all have come to enjoy.

A great example is the critique of some of Coltrane's music. A lot of people have said that he did his best Jazz work, BEFORE he got himself clean. "No junk, no soul" is what has been said.