or maybe they normalised you and you are now doing 'typical' things that normies can relate to?

Fully normalised, fully medicated.

http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamm3u.m3u?id=6814438&q=hi

No, I am doing typical things - typical for me. I am not particularly 'typical', but I _am_ a funny person, and I do normally carry a presence about me. Now I have that back. The hypomania was killing my memory, and my brain function, so no creativity when your brain is clogged. It's made a difference at work, too. (I do creative stuff as work.)

Effer you seem to want to compartmentalize and define normal. You shouldnt its to abstract a term.

I can understand and relate to what CB72 is saying.

When I am not on my meds I can be wildly creative painting, drawing and sculpting. But it is always in a manic, somewhat crazed state.

It doesnt really make the art any better certainly not as fulfilling.

And those highs rarely last long, eventually you get the dreadful low period.

When I am on my meds, it is different. Its more controlled. I find that I get pleasure from the act of creating.

I miss the wild rush of ideas, but I appreciate that the meds can me stay in control enough to actually finish artwork.

Im still creative I just have to be patient and accept the creative flow as it comes. Kind of like meditating in a manner of speaking.

Here's proof that they don't kill creativity. Today at work I got everyon to laugh with this line:

I would rather vote for a guy who may get shot and have a person who is a liar wind up pres, than vote for an old dude who may keel over and wind up with a person who thinks the chronology of the Flintstones is true.

good 4 u :)

i think this is determined by three giant variables: the medication(s) in question, the reaction of the individual to the medication(s) in question, and what creativity means to the individual in question.

i think i've personally struck a good balance, and as an artist and a poet i value my creativity pretty much on the same level as my life.

however, a few years ago i was not at all happy with the effect my medications were having on my creativity--not to mention my personality...

a lot of this balance can only be achieved by time, experimentation, and patience...because it also has to be balanced with (hopefully) taking the edge off of the harsher symptoms of bp...

so...in short...i would say...meds CAN kill creativity...and...at the same time...meds also MAY NOT kill creativity...in my experience...of course...

xx,
bpagg

ok - i don't mean 'creative' as in you sit and draw a picture of a train, and it is pretty realistic

I mean creative more in the revolutionary conceptual sense i.e. a musical idea that redefines how one thinks of certain chord progressions, a cadential movement that would have been almost impossible to imagine when in a normal state of mind, or a melody that redefines how to use diatonic/chromatic harmony - stuff like that - i'm talking about higher terms of artistic creativity, rather than layman's terms.

I think on meds the creative result is ok, but it never really pushes towards new horizons.

I mean, I have written music whilst on meds, and the result is very pleasing music for erveryone to listen to.

However, I have also written music when not on meds that would sound harsh to most - but the creative comceptualisation encapsulated in the piece is of a far higher level than what could be achieved were one in a 'normal' state of mind.


I think that whilst on meds the creative result is, at best, satisfactory.

The freedom of mind required in order to achieve the highest levels of creativity cannot (in my opinion) be achieved with the mental restriction that meds bring.


Irrespective of whether they 'balance' us or not.

That's great stuff cb72.

eff, there you go again. Let it go? That's your experience, not that of others, however you keep re-defining creativity.

Unless you truly believe that there is some discontinuity between creativity in everyone else here and the kind you have, then you have to concede that experiences vary.

If you want to set yourself up as the new messiah of the art form that's up to you. Some of us have been there and thought that too. A few even managed to get something out the door for public scrutiny (though most didn't) If you want to use your own experience that your creativity is deadened by medication as a reason to stop meds, that again is up to you.

Agree with acuriousfish

Wow, aren't you lucky, most of us aren't so lucky

ditto Jag!!!

yeah, maybe you found the right cocktail for yourself. Maybe starting a manic or hypomanic state?

Of course meds can kill creativity!!!! But if and when they do, they're not the RIGHT or BEST meds!! At least, hopefully!!!
I've only been diagnosed and treated for a bit over 2 years now, and only really 'nutso' for about 4 years although, looking back, I can now see that I've been at least 'cyclothymic' my whole life.
My main problem is sleeping. You practically have to beat me with a club to knock me out. After trying various drugs and combinations of drugs, such as AmbienCR, Geoden, Klonopin, Lorazepam, and some others which I can no longer remember, Seroquel seemed to be the miracle cure!!!!
The only drawback that *I* could see was the unwanted weight gain. And it was that which finally caused me to stop taking it. My Pdoc weaned me off of it over the course of a month and now I'm on Thorazine (the generic form) and Xanax (again, the generic form) and I am much better than I have been in years!!! MUCH more clear headed!!! I'm so much more like I was when I (thought I) was normal!!!! My organizational skills have returned!!! My anxiety is gone!!! My agoraphobia is gone!!! The fog has lifted!!
What I thought was 'just' the illness, I now think was -- at least in part -- a 'side effect' of the Seroquel. (But, boy! Does it work when it comes to making me sleep!!!)
And I've only been on the new stuff since october 17th, so the change is rather dramatic. I'm still tinkering to get the right balance with the new stuff, but I am so much more like what 'normal' is for ME!!!!
It's like everything in life!!!! YMMV!!!!!!! (Your mileage may vary!!!)