Ernest Hemingway, Vincent Van Gogh, Amy Winehouse- the idea of the tortured artist is as old
as art itself.
But is there a link between mental illness and creativity?
Plato once said on the subject that he found joy in such pain and to treat it as a gift:
“Madness, provided it comes as the gift of heaven, is the channel by which we receive
the greatest blessings…
Madness comes from God, whereas sober sense is merely human.”
There’s no shortage of myths and stories of artists brooding moodily in front of a
canvass, musicians turning to the bottle for comfort, or writers ending their own lives.
One landmark study by Neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen in 1987 showed a link between creativity
and mental illness.
Her research found that of the 30 writers she interviewed, most, 80%, had been hospitalized
for some mood disorder like bipolar or depression.
Some studies find a higher incidence of mental disorders in those in creative fields and
especially in those individuals who’ve reached some notoriety or eminence.
Other studies find a higher incidence of mental disorders in the family members of very creative
people.
These results strongly hint at a genetic link.
Maybe it's not just genetic but neurological too.
Some studies show that the brain acts in similar ways when being creative and when mentally
ill.
One study published in the journal Neuroimage found that a center of the brain, the precuneus,
that is normally deactivated when thinking, remains active when creative people are thinking
creatively.
The precuneus has been linked in previous studies to things like imagining the self
and retrieving memories.
Using MRI techniques, they found that the precuneus is typically deactivated when focusing
on cognitive tasks.
But those that were unable to suppress this part of the brain were linked with more original
ideas.
They also found that a similar thing happened in the brain of people who scored high on
schizotypy, a less intense version of schizophrenia.
Basically when you are trying to focus on something you tune out everything around you,
but not creative people.
According to one study published in the journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
“more-creative people may include many more events/stimuli in their mental processes than
do less creative people.”
But how does mental illness mean more creative thoughts?
Well maybe it has to do with free association which can be defined as the spontaneous and
undirected association of ideas, emotions, and feelings.
Sometimes free association in the unconscious mind could lead to strange and bizarre links.
Which isn’t a bad thing.
This very process can spark novel ideas.
Einstein called it “combinatory play”.
Like coming up with a new formula for gravity or a great metaphor.
But sometimes the ideas are a little too far out there and can delve into the truly delusional.
Famous mathematical genius John Nash said “the ideas I have about supernatural beings
came to me the same way that my mathematical ideas did, so I took them seriously.”
It’s almost like creativity and madness are on a spectrum.
With creativity somewhere in the middle and delusion and madness on the other end.
While considering more possibilities certainly leads to greater creativity, so does dwelling
on a single problem.
One of the hallmarks of depression is neurotic thinking.
Neurotic thinking can be focusing on negative thoughts and feelings and constantly ruminating
on things past.
For instance if you’re like me you still remember that one time when you waved back
at someone when they were really waving at the person behind you.
That scene replays in my head over and over.
( don’t wave, just don’t wave.. oh god you waved)
But this rehashing can have an up side, according to a study published in the journal Trends
in Cognitive Sciences.
Rumination means focusing on a problem for longer than most people would.
By dwelling on the same problem, sometimes single-mindedly, these types of people would
eventually come up with an interesting solution.
And it’s not just the pursuit of a single problem, but neurotic people might be more
creative too.
Mostly because neurotic people are highly anxious.
You know, in preparation for a threat they literally imagine the worst.
Like when your mom doesn’t text you back you imagine something bad must have happened
like a car accident or she’s in a hold up at the bank.
This penchant for dramatic imaginings might help creative people imagine solutions most
people wouldn’t.
While the idea of the mad genius might be alluring and seductive, it shouldn’t be.
Like Nancy Andreasen highlighted, these people like Kurt Vonnegut and others were successful
not because of their mental illness, but in spite of it.
It’s hard to work when you’re depressed or manic.
Many creative types find themselves disabled by their disorders just as often as they are
inspired by it.
Speaking of signs of creativity, are you a um…
messy person?
Turns out you’re more than just disorganized, you’re probably creative!
Anthony explains the research in this great episode, right here.