Posted by medlib on May 8, 2000, at 19:56:03
In reply to Drugs for Creativity? , posted by DC on May 8, 2000, at 7:06:44
> Out of curiosity--has any one here experimented with higher doses of stimulants? I'm a creative writer and I'm wondering if taking a higher dose now and then might put me in a different, perhaps more creative, zone. What about other drugs? Is there any safe way to boost creativity?
> I came across a word recently on a website about career aptitude testing. The word was "ideaphoria", which, as I understand, is basically the ability to think of many, many ideas quickly. People who have this onrush of ideas tend to have a knack for creative writing. It's different than the "critical" thinking of academia. It sounds a bit like Mania--and it's no secret that many great artists were manic-depressives. So maybe my question is: how can I induce mania?------------------------------------
DC--
I lived in LA during the late 60s, 70s. IMO, Timothy Leary left his fine mind down the rabbit hole-and a lot of others jumped in after it; we never saw their valuable selves again.
Drugs can't make you into someone or something more or different. Some make you *believe* that they can (stims). Others (mj, hallucs) make you believe that they *have*, or that it doesn't matter, anyway.
I lived in a canyon with a lot of creative types and carpooled with 2 writers. Creativity and I have never met (I scored a "D" on Johnson O'Conner's Ideaphoria test). So, when I expressed my natural awe of their craft, I was surprised when they responded similarly. Each said that structure, discipline and persistence were the most important factors. One said that writing was her job; that her confidence came from working hard at that job consistently; that producing something she was proud of was the bonus, and geting something published was a matter of "fate and a good agent." I remember thinking that that would be good for *any* job. I guess this is not news to you, but it sure was to me.
BTW, I, my ex, and both our kids have taken the J. O'C. tests, so, if you're interested in them, I'd be happy to answer questions, if I can.
Best wishes--medlib
poster:medlib
thread:32741
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000508/msgs/32815.html