So what is the allure of the drugs and alcohol and creativity connection?

So, there is recent report of research that shows that creativity in the arts and literature is not improved by drugs or alcohol. On the contrary, drugs and alcohol use have a negative impact on the quality and quantity of what writers and artists and musicians produce when under the influence: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/drunk-writers-were-better-sober-says-psychiatrist-2010053.html. 

Shucks. Ever since I was a teenager (and that was some time ago), I was always intrigued by the hard-living experiences of famous writers and musicians. It was hard to believe that all those amazing adventures and the impact of drugs and alcohol somehow did not make them better artists or give them deeper insights into the human condition. I can still remember reading (many years ago now) a study that compared musician’s playing on and off drugs and demonstrating that off drugs was so much better in quality.

So what is the allure of the drugs and alcohol and creativity connection? Hard to say. Some very talented artists live with significant mental health problems including mental disorders. There may be a fine line between creativity and bipolar disorder for example. Substance abuse can be part of this mix. 

However, I think that this myth of the substance fueled writer or painter or musician producing wonderful work when stoned or drunk is the result of simple logical mis-reasoning. Its confusing co-relation with causality! Because a writer uses drugs does not mean that the drugs make him or her a good writer. Actually, as we know, it’s the opposite.

Now, we need to stop thinking its “cool” and start learning to think in a way that does not depend on our subjective biases and does not support creating “causal” linkages where they are not present. If there are one million possible reasons for a person writing a good story and we focus on just one – drugs, we are likely completely wrong; on the basis of statistics alone.

So, there we go. Stop the drugs and write the great Canadian novel!