Trigger Warning: Suicide mention
I think a huge human flaw is trying to define everything. It can be helpful to be able to classify things for ease and accessibility in a conversation. This is the whole point of language, being able to convey things easier than, for example, grunting and pointing (though that may be a form of language, too). However, when we start talking about abstract things, or things your mind doesn’t have personal experience with, it becomes much trickier to define things. At what point do mood swings become diagnoses of bipolar disorder? How many thoughts of suicide must run through your head before it’s classified as depression? Or would you perhaps only describe your state as “29% manic depressive”? When does that percentage move into the “danger zone”? If that’s the case, does it even make sense to try to put a label it? The spectrum is complicated and ever changing.
Some studies suggest that creativity and depression are positively correlated (Creativity and mental illness, 1987). The tortured artist is a common trope that is found in our own media, where sadness seems to fuel creativity. So how much sadness is a good thing? How sad should you ideally be to let your creativity flow without actually causing significant harm?
However, some studies have also shown quite the opposite, suggesting that creativity can be released more in an individual who is under treatment for their disorder. The scientist responsible for developing lithium as a treatment for bipolar disorder did another study on creative people, measuring productivity and quality of work after being treated. He found that only 25% of the participants had lowered productivity, and the rest either saw enhanced or unaltered creativity (Schou, 1979).
When psychological science is conflicting, it generally implies that people can be vastly different and not all methods work for all people. If the treatment someone is looking at appears to be safe, for many the peace of mind may be worth the risk to creativity.
Written by Taryn Nowak-Stoppel
Schou, M. (1979). Artistic productivity and lithium prophylaxis in manic-depressive illness.The British Journal of Psychiatry, 135(2), pp.97-103.
Creativity and mental illness: prevalence rates in writers and their first-degree relatives. (1987). American Journal of Psychiatry, 144(10), pp.1288-1292.