Creativity and Depression: What Causes the Link?
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I would like to see you guys do a vid on how discouraging a person's creativity can lead to social and mental problems. I'm drawing a comic but my mother is highly critical of me doing it. Even said I thought you would have grown out of that by now. Whenever she criticizes my art style or my comic, which I am totally passionate about, I go into one of my low periods and feel like I should just give up on it. But it's something that brings me joy and satisfaction with every page and I am NOT about to give that up. It's one of only a few things that gets me through my slumps.
I have completely digressed from my original point, why you shouldn't discourage creativity.
Date: 2023-08-20
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Comments and reviews: 24
Adonis,
Probably true for me bc im not creative before or im not into artsy stuff b4, im into acads more. Im an extrovert, have a lot of friends, used to excel in class, over confident, independent, a top student. BUT suddenly, when i entered shs, my fam got into a big problem and i think that's where i loss my will of studying. I become uninterested in studying and even lose my self confidence. That's when i started scribbling on my notebooks. It gotten worse when i entered college bc i became a loner. I dont have friends and im not used to it. I skipped classes without telling my parents. I used to be the excellent one but i became the worst student in my class. I got depressed and cried every night. Instead of sleeping im thinking every night and that's when i realized that i dont fit in my class. I decided to shift now. And im taking advertising bc i felt like that's where i can showcase my ability rather than in accounting. I am an introvert now and my friends can't even believe it. They aren't used to see me being different from who i was b4.
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Probably true for me bc im not creative before or im not into artsy stuff b4, im into acads more. Im an extrovert, have a lot of friends, used to excel in class, over confident, independent, a top student. BUT suddenly, when i entered shs, my fam got into a big problem and i think that's where i loss my will of studying. I become uninterested in studying and even lose my self confidence. That's when i started scribbling on my notebooks. It gotten worse when i entered college bc i became a loner. I dont have friends and im not used to it. I skipped classes without telling my parents. I used to be the excellent one but i became the worst student in my class. I got depressed and cried every night. Instead of sleeping im thinking every night and that's when i realized that i dont fit in my class. I decided to shift now. And im taking advertising bc i felt like that's where i can showcase my ability rather than in accounting. I am an introvert now and my friends can't even believe it. They aren't used to see me being different from who i was b4.
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psych2go
This video is on the topic of emotional depression, not the psychological disorder of Clinical Depression (an umbrella term for several types of Clinical Depression disorders. Rejection and criticism, like necessity, absolutely can trigger greater creativity but that is a positive experience if the recipient is resilient and doesn't personalise and internalise other (faulty) person's or (faulty) society's criticism. :) If abuse is involved, that will lead to psychological disorders, indeed. Not all rejection and criticism is abusive or even negative. Asking questions and observing patterns in order to accurately understand others and situations and health issues on the other party's end is IMPERATIVE. The studying and memorising of the behavioural PATTERNS of all Personality Disorders (abusers) is health-saving and life-saving and must become a societal mandatory educational experience!
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This video is on the topic of emotional depression, not the psychological disorder of Clinical Depression (an umbrella term for several types of Clinical Depression disorders. Rejection and criticism, like necessity, absolutely can trigger greater creativity but that is a positive experience if the recipient is resilient and doesn't personalise and internalise other (faulty) person's or (faulty) society's criticism. :) If abuse is involved, that will lead to psychological disorders, indeed. Not all rejection and criticism is abusive or even negative. Asking questions and observing patterns in order to accurately understand others and situations and health issues on the other party's end is IMPERATIVE. The studying and memorising of the behavioural PATTERNS of all Personality Disorders (abusers) is health-saving and life-saving and must become a societal mandatory educational experience!
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Eli
I don't think depression causes creativity. I think you become creative because of your personality, childhood, and some other factors. Yes, depressed people are more likely to use their creativity and produce amazing works, but I think that that is more due to art being a great outlet to express ones feelings, and can be therapeutic in many ways. I think that creative or smarter people feel estranged from other people. They might be able to hold a conversation, but the conversation is less meaningful, and the other person may find the creative person odd. Because people are generally attracted to similar people and stay away from people who differ from the norm, it makes sense to me that the creative person would be pushed away from people and meaningful connections would be severed, eventually leading to depression, depression leading to an increase in creative expression, and so on.
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I don't think depression causes creativity. I think you become creative because of your personality, childhood, and some other factors. Yes, depressed people are more likely to use their creativity and produce amazing works, but I think that that is more due to art being a great outlet to express ones feelings, and can be therapeutic in many ways. I think that creative or smarter people feel estranged from other people. They might be able to hold a conversation, but the conversation is less meaningful, and the other person may find the creative person odd. Because people are generally attracted to similar people and stay away from people who differ from the norm, it makes sense to me that the creative person would be pushed away from people and meaningful connections would be severed, eventually leading to depression, depression leading to an increase in creative expression, and so on.
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Vivian
I think generally when labeling people it's negative feelings in general that lead to creativity. For most people they don't question something unless they are uncomfortable with it. Like saying if it ain't broke don't fix it. But for those who are are naturally creative and when you start looking at introvert/extroverts, empaths, ECT. I think depression is more or less a occupational hazard for them. An artist who is writing a novel about a rape victim yet never experienced it has to put themselves in a very specific mental place in order to write that novel. It's self inflicted but for the purpose of creating a message in a format others who may never have experienced it may understand and learn.
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I think generally when labeling people it's negative feelings in general that lead to creativity. For most people they don't question something unless they are uncomfortable with it. Like saying if it ain't broke don't fix it. But for those who are are naturally creative and when you start looking at introvert/extroverts, empaths, ECT. I think depression is more or less a occupational hazard for them. An artist who is writing a novel about a rape victim yet never experienced it has to put themselves in a very specific mental place in order to write that novel. It's self inflicted but for the purpose of creating a message in a format others who may never have experienced it may understand and learn.
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TechnoTerror
Personally I take issue with the attempt to present the mater in a binary light, particularly when the presentation of the idea is clearly shifted to one side, to say the that creativity creates depression seems to be a contrived view found only after you had already came the opposite conclusion; It seems that you are trying to attack a view that wasn't held in the first place in order to bolster an oversimplified claim. The relation between creativity and Depression is fascinating but difficult to objectively measure and it is important that we are not only looking to test claims that we wish to be true, and it is even more important that we don't put aside evidence to the contrary.
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Personally I take issue with the attempt to present the mater in a binary light, particularly when the presentation of the idea is clearly shifted to one side, to say the that creativity creates depression seems to be a contrived view found only after you had already came the opposite conclusion; It seems that you are trying to attack a view that wasn't held in the first place in order to bolster an oversimplified claim. The relation between creativity and Depression is fascinating but difficult to objectively measure and it is important that we are not only looking to test claims that we wish to be true, and it is even more important that we don't put aside evidence to the contrary.
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starnavigator73
Just the idea of losing your creativity by getting better is depressing. But really, I don't think it's that simple either way. I've known creative people who can't create when they get down. But for me, I usually find writing therapeutic. I put my characters through way worse than what I've been through, but find unexpected parallels between their issues and my own. Then I have an opportunity to face and process my issues. It's not fun. But it helps me understand myself and others better. I hope I can learn how to heal because I want my stories to end up genuinely hopeful for my readers -- not just writing an easy fix for the sake of a happy ending. It's got to feel REAL.
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Just the idea of losing your creativity by getting better is depressing. But really, I don't think it's that simple either way. I've known creative people who can't create when they get down. But for me, I usually find writing therapeutic. I put my characters through way worse than what I've been through, but find unexpected parallels between their issues and my own. Then I have an opportunity to face and process my issues. It's not fun. But it helps me understand myself and others better. I hope I can learn how to heal because I want my stories to end up genuinely hopeful for my readers -- not just writing an easy fix for the sake of a happy ending. It's got to feel REAL.
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Emily
I think it's more if a chicken and egg situation. But it does depend on the how a person directs their emotions and in what expect they are creative in. For example, a person experiencing depression and rejection may not always turn to artwork, writing and music to express themselves. They may just suffer with bottled up emotions without truly expressing their views. Similarly, a person who is creative may not always experience depressing emotions when rejected. While it is true that people use their creativity as a form of release for negative emotions such as loneliness and heartbreak, not everyone works the same and people change based on personal experience and perspective.
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I think it's more if a chicken and egg situation. But it does depend on the how a person directs their emotions and in what expect they are creative in. For example, a person experiencing depression and rejection may not always turn to artwork, writing and music to express themselves. They may just suffer with bottled up emotions without truly expressing their views. Similarly, a person who is creative may not always experience depressing emotions when rejected. While it is true that people use their creativity as a form of release for negative emotions such as loneliness and heartbreak, not everyone works the same and people change based on personal experience and perspective.
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Nick
Or perhaps neither one creates the other. Maybe they are both manifestations of the same thing: an awareness of the general badness of life. Depression is the emotional response to the badness and creativity is the attempt to fix or reduce the badness. Depression provides a motivation to the creativity to work harder making things better, while creativity provides hope that things can get better that keeps the depression from getting worse. Where this falls apart is when the person realizes that the creativity is insufficient, thus hope dies and the depression takes over.
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Or perhaps neither one creates the other. Maybe they are both manifestations of the same thing: an awareness of the general badness of life. Depression is the emotional response to the badness and creativity is the attempt to fix or reduce the badness. Depression provides a motivation to the creativity to work harder making things better, while creativity provides hope that things can get better that keeps the depression from getting worse. Where this falls apart is when the person realizes that the creativity is insufficient, thus hope dies and the depression takes over.
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AirmanBrown
I think thats a dangerous cycle. Beauty can be born from beauty.
How many songs or masterpieces were inspired from good things or an enjoyable experiences? Many! People look at nature, love, their family and are inspired by the beauty of something that is good.
I think creatives can get caught in very bad cycle when they think their depression is the only way that will lead to a great creative work which keeps them in that vicious cycle.
Now can beauty come from depressive states, absolutely, but is that the only source of inspiration? I dont think so.
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I think thats a dangerous cycle. Beauty can be born from beauty.
How many songs or masterpieces were inspired from good things or an enjoyable experiences? Many! People look at nature, love, their family and are inspired by the beauty of something that is good.
I think creatives can get caught in very bad cycle when they think their depression is the only way that will lead to a great creative work which keeps them in that vicious cycle.
Now can beauty come from depressive states, absolutely, but is that the only source of inspiration? I dont think so.
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Andrew
more or less I think creative people think like the general populous. I wouldnt say nobody understands them, because then creatives would socialize with other creatives exclusively. I think it has more to do with the fact that creatives create a, for lack of a better term, useless problem wherein they feel the NEED to be creative, and when theyre not, it leads to depression. a creative person strives on being creative because for the most part, it is entirely who they are. when you lose that aspect, youve essentially lost yourself
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more or less I think creative people think like the general populous. I wouldnt say nobody understands them, because then creatives would socialize with other creatives exclusively. I think it has more to do with the fact that creatives create a, for lack of a better term, useless problem wherein they feel the NEED to be creative, and when theyre not, it leads to depression. a creative person strives on being creative because for the most part, it is entirely who they are. when you lose that aspect, youve essentially lost yourself
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Anastasia
I don't know which scenario is correct, creative causes depression or visa versa but I know without a doubt that anti depressants affect creativity, negatively. They kill creativity. They also kill the libido. Interesting both have to do do with creating (the mind, ideas inspiration, and libido has to do with procreation, the creation of a baby. I wonder if the saying As above, so below could apply here, if things are messed up in your head, things a are messed up down below and visa versa.
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I don't know which scenario is correct, creative causes depression or visa versa but I know without a doubt that anti depressants affect creativity, negatively. They kill creativity. They also kill the libido. Interesting both have to do do with creating (the mind, ideas inspiration, and libido has to do with procreation, the creation of a baby. I wonder if the saying As above, so below could apply here, if things are messed up in your head, things a are messed up down below and visa versa.
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Zenberryflood
I believe and know you can feel either way (creativity=depression)
No matter what eventually I run out of creativity so I do everything in my power to try and when its not perfect, I feel so hopeless in myself since Ive never had a friend to talk to about this topic, in fact, I legit have no friends so I cant get any creativity and/or inspiration from another person which equals depression, to me this can happen both ways. This took me everything in myself to type this.
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I believe and know you can feel either way (creativity=depression)
No matter what eventually I run out of creativity so I do everything in my power to try and when its not perfect, I feel so hopeless in myself since Ive never had a friend to talk to about this topic, in fact, I legit have no friends so I cant get any creativity and/or inspiration from another person which equals depression, to me this can happen both ways. This took me everything in myself to type this.
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Gabriel
The elusive genius by Elizabeth Gilbert Ted talk. She explains that it's the relationship with creativity that modern society that have simply in the old days they said you have a genius simply an entity came from outside but today we say people are a geniuses which is a too heavy burden to carry (Jordan Peterson- psychology of creativity he states artist or creatives live on the edge of chaos which is foolish and yet the very thing that rejuvenates the cities.
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The elusive genius by Elizabeth Gilbert Ted talk. She explains that it's the relationship with creativity that modern society that have simply in the old days they said you have a genius simply an entity came from outside but today we say people are a geniuses which is a too heavy burden to carry (Jordan Peterson- psychology of creativity he states artist or creatives live on the edge of chaos which is foolish and yet the very thing that rejuvenates the cities.
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Lorrane
Depression causes my creativity, at least. I write poetry and I only get creative when I'm depressed. The spark comes and I start writing, but when I try to write poetry purposefully it doesn't work out. And when I'm happy or neutral I can't write anything, because all of my poems are about my depression and suffering. It is a constant dilemma, do I want to be happy and lose my art, my inspiration? Or do I want to have it, but stay depressed and in pain?
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Depression causes my creativity, at least. I write poetry and I only get creative when I'm depressed. The spark comes and I start writing, but when I try to write poetry purposefully it doesn't work out. And when I'm happy or neutral I can't write anything, because all of my poems are about my depression and suffering. It is a constant dilemma, do I want to be happy and lose my art, my inspiration? Or do I want to have it, but stay depressed and in pain?
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Sarah
I am an artist and my most powerful works of art comes after trauma. In the past I had several harsh experience, so I founded myself creating powerful work, but it left me aching all the time. It's been 2 years that I am working into positivity in all aspects of my Life, but I am no longer creating powerful work. I still suffer from excessive anxiety and high level of irrational fear. Maybe I can transform Stress into Art? What do you Think?
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I am an artist and my most powerful works of art comes after trauma. In the past I had several harsh experience, so I founded myself creating powerful work, but it left me aching all the time. It's been 2 years that I am working into positivity in all aspects of my Life, but I am no longer creating powerful work. I still suffer from excessive anxiety and high level of irrational fear. Maybe I can transform Stress into Art? What do you Think?
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Sathika
As a child you might have been creative, lately what leads you to depression. Your thought process are different. That's what lead you to both creativity and depression same time. You are deep in thoughts and emotions. You are even careful about your words not to hurt anyone. Many won't understand. You are easily understood by children and animals than adults. Industrial world is the problem that emotions are not validated.
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As a child you might have been creative, lately what leads you to depression. Your thought process are different. That's what lead you to both creativity and depression same time. You are deep in thoughts and emotions. You are even careful about your words not to hurt anyone. Many won't understand. You are easily understood by children and animals than adults. Industrial world is the problem that emotions are not validated.
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Alicja
Just a hypothesis, but something to consider. It's not that A causes B or B causes A. A and B are correlated because they often have the same source. There's a type of people that are more prone to depression. There's also a type of people who are creative. Often people belong to both types at the same time. That's why creativity and depression are correlated. But one doesn't cause the other nor vice versa.
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Just a hypothesis, but something to consider. It's not that A causes B or B causes A. A and B are correlated because they often have the same source. There's a type of people that are more prone to depression. There's also a type of people who are creative. Often people belong to both types at the same time. That's why creativity and depression are correlated. But one doesn't cause the other nor vice versa.
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Ame
The night before a state wide creative writing competition, I tried to kill myself (in retrospect, I wasn't going to be successful in any sort of way using the way I was trying to kill myself, but the intent was there. The next day, I was in the top ten for my grade division (there were 400 other writers. I also enjoy drawing and produce a lot of them when I feel empty because I have nothing to do.
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The night before a state wide creative writing competition, I tried to kill myself (in retrospect, I wasn't going to be successful in any sort of way using the way I was trying to kill myself, but the intent was there. The next day, I was in the top ten for my grade division (there were 400 other writers. I also enjoy drawing and produce a lot of them when I feel empty because I have nothing to do.
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JOSHISRANDOM
The depression causes creativity because of constant rejection and sadness it makes us wanna escape and a way to do that is to build a world of our own. And I suffer from a problem where I cant even really bring myself to create that world anymore. Ive got a ton of ideas but Im overwhelmed with them and other things going on in my life right now that its hard to sit down and create
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The depression causes creativity because of constant rejection and sadness it makes us wanna escape and a way to do that is to build a world of our own. And I suffer from a problem where I cant even really bring myself to create that world anymore. Ive got a ton of ideas but Im overwhelmed with them and other things going on in my life right now that its hard to sit down and create
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Lilly
I am a songwriter I write lyrics and I think creativity causes depression because a lot of the times youre told by family and that that youre not good in any creates self-doubt and then you feel depressed because you feel like what youre doing is a waste of time I dont deal with depression though so this is just my thought but everyones different
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I am a songwriter I write lyrics and I think creativity causes depression because a lot of the times youre told by family and that that youre not good in any creates self-doubt and then you feel depressed because you feel like what youre doing is a waste of time I dont deal with depression though so this is just my thought but everyones different
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shahilagh
I dont agree that creativity causes depression. It is the opposite. I think people who have sadness in their heart r more likely to want to express their emotions in powerful ways and that becomes art. otherwise when everything is fine one doesnt need to spend time and create something they go have fun with friends and family instead.
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I dont agree that creativity causes depression. It is the opposite. I think people who have sadness in their heart r more likely to want to express their emotions in powerful ways and that becomes art. otherwise when everything is fine one doesnt need to spend time and create something they go have fun with friends and family instead.
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Cole
The difference between art and sciences is that the rights and wrongs of art are mostly subjective while the rights and wrongs of sciences are absolute. It is the flawed human mind that sets the standards of art. The higher the standards, the more frustrating it gets, and sometimes, that frustration may lead to self-destructive behavior.
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The difference between art and sciences is that the rights and wrongs of art are mostly subjective while the rights and wrongs of sciences are absolute. It is the flawed human mind that sets the standards of art. The higher the standards, the more frustrating it gets, and sometimes, that frustration may lead to self-destructive behavior.
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Bennie
hmm. very persuasive. I believe depression causes creativity. When your moment of success, comes and immediately goes, You search for that acceptance/moment.
Due to politics and from the powers that be, unfortunately for the creator he or she feels like they are finding forever destroying themselves in the process.
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hmm. very persuasive. I believe depression causes creativity. When your moment of success, comes and immediately goes, You search for that acceptance/moment.
Due to politics and from the powers that be, unfortunately for the creator he or she feels like they are finding forever destroying themselves in the process.
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ssen
i've always hid the fact that i need to be in pain, anger, or jealousy whenever i create something. it just motivates me. i barely get inspiration to make things better when i'm in a positive or better state, it feels like i'm gonna be contented on whatever i do despite it being below the bare minimum, which i hate.
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i've always hid the fact that i need to be in pain, anger, or jealousy whenever i create something. it just motivates me. i barely get inspiration to make things better when i'm in a positive or better state, it feels like i'm gonna be contented on whatever i do despite it being below the bare minimum, which i hate.
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