Dual Diagnosis

The Myth of Drugs and Creativity: Mental Illness’ Role in the Using Artist

The writer sits at his table, a drink in hand and ready for the downing. The painter stands at her canvas, having recently smoked a blunt, and contemplates the pigments on the surface of her latest work. The musician runs on stage, revved up on coke and ready to wow the crowd. Whether touted as an emblem of counter-cultural freedom from the restrictive thinking of mainstream society or reputed to stimulate the imagination, drugs, and creativity have been linked with...