creative people more prone to drug use? (or abuse)

[pinkanga]

I spose I could elaborate further, but would nonetheless be interested in hearing people's thoughts on whether creative people are more at risk of getting heavily into drugs.

Ive heard this mentioned a few times before and have always wondered whether this is the case or not.

 

[SupaDiscoBreaka]

I completely agree and think it is a direct follow on from the theory that drugs don't cause as many mental problems as people believe. Instead, people with different mental processes are more likely to seek out mind altering substances.

 

[Strawberry_lovemuffin]

It seems that way throughout history, at least.

It's well documented the amount of literary, dramatic, artistic and musical figures who have used drugs of some sort (Lewis Caroll for a start - Alice In Wonderland's a work of mind-bending art in more ways than one )

And being a creative type into drugs myself I'd have to agree on a personal level too.

My theory is that a creative person's reality is more fluid than a person to whom order and logic is normal. We are more likely to feel comfortable experimenting with time because we've experienced it's ability to bend before - anyone who's been in that creative "zone" will know what I mean. Plus we are perhaps more accepting of the darker sides of life because you need that openmindedness to nurture the imagination.

Perhaps creative people take drugs because they're already comfortable pushing boundaries. And maybe they are less scared of death... or perhaps simply better able to remain in fantasy-land about the harm they might be doing to their bodies, since their world is a construct of their own making just like their art is.

All this is specualtion, but... well, it's my opinion for what it's worth

SLM

 

[BigTrancer]

Are creative people more likely to use/abuse drugs?
Does the use/abuse drugs of make people more creative?

BigTrancer

 

[pinkanga]

^^ Hey, not sure BigTrancer ^^ -I havent had alot of experience with acid or halicunitory drugs but I reckon that would probably be true for them.

All those comments are great.......they sort of crystalise thoughts that have been floating around in my mind for a while.

Interesting too, Strawberry_lovemuffin, what you say about being in the zone. Ive sort of come to the conclusion lately that drugs can be an alternative for getting into that zone. I spent most of last year not playing any jazz (on the sax) for whatever reason, and this also meant not improvising at all (an awesome creative outlet). I think the use of drugs (I went pretty hard for a while there last yr) was sort of an unconscience alternative to the creativity of improvising and jazz.

Anyway, just a theory.

 

[gfresh27]

I agree I think creative people would be more likely to do mind altering substances because they tend to be the more ecentric types who throw caution to the wind, look at the use of abstinthe oin the early 1900s. I like this idea of drugs promoting your creative side, personally one of the most appealing reasons for me to drugs in the first place was the mind bend and the ability to look at my life and the world in cool new ways. :D

On the flip side, there are also a lot of creative people who do not use drugs. Maybe its just a case of different strokes for different folks?

 

[hoptis]

Here's a little example from my perspective of the world. In web development, you can generally throw professionals into two categories; the programmers and the designers, the former requiring logical/analytical skills and the latter requiring creative skills.

In the years I've worked in this field I can say qualitatively; few programmers are into drugs while a lot of designers I know are, or have at least tried at one time. This is both from talking to people who I work with and meeting people when I'm out, some of my best friends in the scene are graphic designers.

That said, I'm a programmer.

Logically, it's not easy to establish a valid contention for the use of illicit drugs or taking risks which can damage your health or mental capacity. On the other hand, a creative brain seeks out new and different experiences and are willing to take the risks involved to find them.

 

[melancholic]

I've spent many a thought on wondering about whether one can form patterns about what sort of people use or abuse certain drugs, why some people have no problems with dependence, and why others just lose their life to them. For some reason I'm actually quite acquainted with the notion that people can be categorised in one way or another by their personality, I don't know why, my analytical side just takes over.

In any case, after initially trying to categorise the 'majority' of drug users by intelligence, creativity, personality, misfits, people who want more, etc etc its just too difficult to do so. I think it may be true to say creative people are more likely to experiment with mind altering substances than some people, but not that the majority of drug users are creative people. As far as using/abusing making people more creative, once again, I don't think its accurate to give a yes or no answer, for some people the drugs open their mind like a blossoming flower, and others it shuts down its thought process - and thats why they enjoy them.

 

[a_muse]

The most creative people that I have met have abstained from drugs and even alcohol so I am sitting on the fence on this one.

 

[Smurfin]

Definately agree with SupaDiscoBreaka

people with different mental processes are more likely to seek out mind altering substances.

I think often the creative type is used to pushing the boundaries and is better equipped to handle and benefit from both the ups and the downs

 

[ToM-OoO]

personally one of the most appealing reasons for me to drugs in the first place was the mind bend and the ability to look at my life and the world in cool new ways. :D

Yeh same with me, same with me.....