Health And Creativity

[metabolizm]

What do you think is the relationship between health and creativity?

Many great thinkers - let’s just call them that - were seemingly very sick or very neurotic or were just generally far from good health. How can this be?

Ray is of course an example of someone with seemingly abundant health and abundant creativity. A happy marriage. That can happen to.

I’m at my most stupid when I’m unwell, particularly when I’m overcome with anxiety. My brain just shuts down - or at least the creative side does. Good health is what I seek and I’d imagine good, clear thoughts would come from that place.

 

[lampofred]

I think low serotonin/fast metabolism makes you intelligent but more sensitive to the environment.

Dr. Peat is currently both low serotonin and good environment (in terms of diet, supplements, etc.). But low serotonin/fast metabolism people in a toxic environment can have bursts of creativity combined with pain/sensitivity to the environment, leading to a short life.

 

[metabolizm]

Ray’s thoughts:

It [ill health] definitely shapes the nature of the work. Any kind of suffering is a limiting factor.
Blake commented:
…reflect on the State of Nations under Poverty &
Their incapability of Art; tho’ Art is Above Either,
The Argument is better for Affluence than Poverty;
Happinesses have Wings and Wheels; Miseries are Leaden Legged….

 

[lampofred]

Also something interesting I read recently is that typical depression, which many artists tend to have, is not a sign of stress, it's actually a sign of higher than average vitality, as evident by a high NA to 5HT ratio (whereas the typical adult population under the influence of high PUFA diet has high 5HT).

But optimal health driven by thyroid has high DOPA and low NA and low 5HT. My guess is that some NA is necessary for creativity, someone who is running purely on thyroid (dopamine) and zero noradrenaline is either very satisfied with life or is a kid and feels no need to be creative, & it seems like creativity stems from dissatisfaction/sexual desire.

 

[gaze]

I think there is a big difference between anxiety and neuroticism. When your manic, your brain is moving extremely fast thinking about 100 different things at once and you can certainly get in the creative zone. Real anxiety however completely dampens the brain and makes it hard to think of anything, even very simple concepts. Most great writers who suffered, such as Nietzsche, were more manic then anxious.

 

[metabolizm]

@Kammas I think that's a valuable distinction.

@lampofred food for thought, thank you.

 

[YourUniverse]

Happinesses have Wings and Wheels; Miseries are Leaden Legged….

Too true

 

[Pufa-Puffin]

Looking at the lives of great artists of the past, good health doesn't seem to be beneficial for the creative process in any way. You obviously need some base level of health to be physically able to do the art, but beyond that, there is no additional benefit in better health.

What you need for the creative process, though, is suffering. When you read the biographies of famous or well received artists, a clear pattern start showing up - majority of them experienced a lot of suffering at some point of their lives. Some are even conscious of this and mention it in interviews, that the suffering was a fuel for their creativity.

So if your poor health cause you a lot of suffering, but not enough to prevent you from doing your art, it can theoretically be beneficial for the creative process.

Also, a lot of suffering in other areas often undermine your health, that might be why a lot of great thinkers were generally far from good health.

 

[Blaze]

Any condition limiting physical health will certainly have an impact on our mental ability. Since creativity depends heavily on abstract ideas being generated and developed/nurtured...... optimal physical health which certainly contributes to mental health will greatly aid the ability and efficiency of the mind in creative endeavors of thought.