There appears to be a link between bipolar disorder and creativity. Research shows that people with a genetic predisposition to bipolar disorder are more likely than others to be artistic and creative. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.
One per cent of the general population is bipolar but seven studies over the past 30 years have found rates of bipolar between 5% and 40% in populations of artists and writers reaching as high as 70% when cyclothymia, a milder syndrome of cycles of elation and gloom, is included.
Rather, the high-pressure and hectic lifestyles of many artists may lead to depressive symptoms, as tight deadlines, high expectations, fierce criticism, and intense travel are common for such individuals.
People living with bipolar disorder may associate creativity with symptoms of self-described “creative mania.” Manic and hypomanic episodes may involve high levels of euphoria and energy, but also feelings of disconnection and reckless behavior — such as irresponsible financial decisions, angry outbursts, and high-risk ...
This predisposition might be spurred by family interests, exciting teachers or mentors, or by their own talents. Artists may also be acutely sensitive to the ambient moods, sounds, pictures, people and events in their lives. They may resonate to their surroundings at an unconscious and deep emotional level.
Artists like Francisco de Goya, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Frida Kahlo, and Mark Rothko likely suffered from mental health problems at some point in their lives. Their art uniquely reflects their struggle and psychological condition.
The main reason for the connection between anxiety and creativity is imagination. The dichotomy lies in the fact that the same brain that conjures up inventive paintings, poetry, and music can also get trapped in repetitive thoughts and dreadful worries.
The team found that individuals whose profession was a painter, musician, writer or dancer were 25% more likely to carry gene variants related to bipolar or schizophrenia than those in less creative jobs, such as manual laborers and farmers.
The conclusion: Individuals who had studied one of the creative arts in high school or college had higher odds of developing bipolar or another serious mental health disorder. “Most people with bipolar disorder are not more creative than the average person,” Kyaga notes.
Bipolar disorder is more common in people who have a first-degree relative, such as a sibling or parent, with the condition.
High Achievement with Bipolar Disorder
Seemingly, the traits that make high achievers—energy, confidence, unconventional thinking, and a high tolerance for risk—are also linked to the milder stages of hypomania. There's a reason bipolar has been called a “CEO's disease.”
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
Music therapy can improve brain functioning in areas of the brain associated with emotional regulation, which could be particularly beneficial for patients with bipolar disorder. Older adults are especially likely to benefit from music therapy.
According to personality trait theories, people who are considered artistic tend to be attracted to activities that involve creativity, originality, and independence, such as singing, dancing, writing, or just expressing their uniqueness. Artistic people also tend to be more impulsive than others.
1) They have a creative mind
The fact is, artists don't have the same deduction system or system of values as others, and that's the reason why we find it hard to understand or follow their train of thought. Also, their minds tick a bit differently than the average person's, because diverse details move it.
Creative people have a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings. Their sensory experiences (i.e. the way they perceive sound, light, smell, etc.) are intensified. They may pick up on the little things in the environment that others miss or see patterns where others see randomness.
#1 Self-Doubt (What if I'm not good enough?)
This is probably the number one fear of any creative professional.
By far the most famous example of an artist with mental illness is the immensely popular Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh suffered from anxiety and depression throughout his short life, and he once wrote, “I put my heart and my soul into my work, and lost my mind in the process.”
Individual History: Vincent van Gogh was a famous artist with schizophrenia. Among the most famous schizophrenic people is world renowned artist Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh was a Post-Impressionist Dutch painter, whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art.
Artists are perhaps solipsistic, but they are not narcissists. Artists care deeply about being understood for who they honestly are. Art becomes simply a method of communicating this honest self. Both the artist and the narcissist feel that they have unacceptable parts that they need to compensate for.
“We found that individuals without a lifetime history of a psychiatric disorder scored higher on a test of creative thinking relative to those who had at least one lifetime diagnosis.”