It’s one of the enduring myths about bipolar disorder that people with it are more creative and that treatment, especially with medication such as mood stabilizers, will diminish one’s creativity. The depth of emotional experience, tendency toward impulsivity, and overestimation of our capacities that occur during mania lead many of us with bipolar disorder into creative fields, so it is no surprise that in the arts and in entrepreneurship people with bipolar disorder are overrepresented. However, the choice to pursue a creative field does not in itself illustrate that one is, in fact, creative. Contrary to this propensity to pursue creative endeavors, evidence clearly illustrates that severe forms of mania actually diminish creative expression, divergent thinking, and the capacity to turn ideas into tangible, valid work.
Bipolar Disorder and Creativity
Bipolar Disorder and Creativity
Bipolar Disorder and Creativity
It’s one of the enduring myths about bipolar disorder that people with it are more creative and that treatment, especially with medication such as mood stabilizers, will diminish one’s creativity. The depth of emotional experience, tendency toward impulsivity, and overestimation of our capacities that occur during mania lead many of us with bipolar disorder into creative fields, so it is no surprise that in the arts and in entrepreneurship people with bipolar disorder are overrepresented. However, the choice to pursue a creative field does not in itself illustrate that one is, in fact, creative. Contrary to this propensity to pursue creative endeavors, evidence clearly illustrates that severe forms of mania actually diminish creative expression, divergent thinking, and the capacity to turn ideas into tangible, valid work.