Category: Creativity

According to Kay Redfield Jamison, a clinical psychologist and author of An Unquiet Mind, everyone who has bipolar disorder is not necessarily creative but amongst people who are creative there are a disproportionately high number of people who have bipolar disorder. Redfield-Jamieson used biographical data to suggest that mania may have affected creative geniuses like Hemingway, Tchaikovsky, Dickenson, Keats, Munch, among others. Having a list of so many famous and accomplished artist share the disorder makes me feel good and  it helps reduce the stigma.

I have had the pleasure of meeting gifted musicians, artists and writers who have bipolar disorder. However, for me, there is a danger in getting too excited about my own creative thoughts. All of my manic episodes had an aspect of creativity that triggered them. This makes me sad in a way because I am actually pretty good at coming up with solid creative ideas but to make that an unencumbered focus of my life and stay well is not possible.

Many people who have been medicated for the first time to treat bipolar disorder complain they have lost their creativity. Over the years I have met people who have learned that without the energy that comes with hypomania it is still possible to be creative, but it does not stream out of them effortlessly. The quality of their work does not suffer, and they are more focused.

Recently, I have discovered I have a talent for writing. When I am writing there is the rare occasion where I get over stimulated. When this happens, I stop writing, go to my bathroom and sit in the dark until I calm down. If this did not work and I was unable to sleep, I would contact my psychiatrist and she would adjust my medication.

Creativity and bipolar disorder can certainly be a blessing, but it comes at a high cost. Individuals who are creative when they are high usually have depressive episodes once the high is over. In addition, having a chronic illness that impacts every aspect of your life is not fun either. That being said, the most intelligent and creative people I know have bipolar disorder and some of our conversations are truly extraordinary.

I have completed writing a memoir. I was able to achieve this goal by taking courses and participating in a program at the Alexandra Writers Centre Society. The current program I am in called the Author Development Program will be ending this week. To celebrate the end of the program, I will be doing a reading online from my book with four other writers this Thursday at 6:30 pm (MST) Click here to get free tickets to this event.