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My sons neurologist, and I happened to mention that someone had commented on a blog that the brains of artists and schizophrenics were similar, and you had to be 'wired' to be an artist, he and my sons pediatrician laughed and said that even at the cutting edge of science we are no where near the ability to tell where creativity comes from, not even a general part of the brain, and that any study that stated this, was much as the same as the old belief in reading bumps on the skull (phrenology) could tell you who was a genius.
The neurologist also said, (as I believe) that creativity is a learned trait. He said among his patients who are artists, they can confuse a 'quirk' as he put it, with a 'disorder', and the difference is in control.
For disorders my son's pediatrician who specializes with autistic patients is careful that the level of medications doesn't blunt creativity. Much in the way that my sons medications for his ADHD have to be kept level so he remains more verbal.
In answer to the person who said, we shouldn't treat our artists for mental illness, both the neurologist and pediatrician said without treatments, we wouldn't have more artists, we'd have more dead artists.
The neurologist also said, (as I believe) that creativity is a learned trait. He said among his patients who are artists, they can confuse a 'quirk' as he put it, with a 'disorder', and the difference is in control.
For disorders my son's pediatrician who specializes with autistic patients is careful that the level of medications doesn't blunt creativity. Much in the way that my sons medications for his ADHD have to be kept level so he remains more verbal.
In answer to the person who said, we shouldn't treat our artists for mental illness, both the neurologist and pediatrician said without treatments, we wouldn't have more artists, we'd have more dead artists.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-25 06:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-25 06:14 pm (UTC)Creativity, like many other things, is a talent that you can be born with, yes, but you can also develop. Even fully mature brains can rewire themselves for all kinds of things, if they're encouraged to do so. I mean, just look at how Rep. Giffords is bouncing back from being SHOT THROUGH THE HEAD.The mind is a terribly complex thing that we only barely understand. And we don't understand fully what causes depression, nor creatvitiy. We have some idea where extreme creativity comes from, but most artists are not savants or geniuses. They are people who have worked very hard and continue to work very hard and they do something they ENJOY.
Sorry, this is just such a pet peeve for me. It's a thing that even talented people require HOURS AND MONTHS AND YEARS to be really good and people just throw their hands up when most of the time successful people are just a) talented or b) privileged.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-25 06:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-25 06:30 pm (UTC)And don't treat me like I'm less human or less worthy of kindness and care, because if I was loved I wouldn't make beautiful things. FUCK. FUUUUUUCK. That just makes me so angry. The people in my life have actually said things like that and it's just made getting well so much harder. No, no, if I am not at least neurologically and psychologically functional then I am not able to really write a full work and take crit and get published. That's just how it is. I want to explode this myth SO BAD.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-25 08:34 pm (UTC)THE HELL????????
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-25 07:03 pm (UTC)Oh, that made me see red. I'm really glad you survived such perniciously invalid 'advice'. *cheers you on*