Artist Problems

[Slade]

I sometimes don't eat for a few days

 

[Kagayours]

Taking meds fo ADD or ADHD seems to also cause a lot of problems for artists as well.

As someone who has a prescription for such medication, I actually find it to be quite the opposite, for me.

Without meds, I find it incredibly difficult to keep working on a piece. I always lose focus and, consequently, motivation. It's very rare that I'm able to make decent progress on a piece without them.

Unmedicated, my thinking is more spontaneous, yes... but that is not helpful when I can't help but think about 2600 unrelated things before I even realize that I've stopped thinking about what I'm drawing. It's nice to have something that keeps me focused on the actual art. You know -- put that creative effort to good use.

I admit that countless ideas for drawings run through my head when my drug-free brain's a-wanderin', but like 95% of those ideas are pieces that I'll realistically never have the time or desire to actually make. XD

I guess my artist problem is that I always have more ideas than I'll ever be able to use, then.

And also feeling like I need drugs to make art and can't just work on stuff whenever, which is a teensy bit discouraging.

 

[TheGreyWarden]

I have that issue too and it's terrible. Out of my three months in my High School Art Class, I only have completed two art projects. I need serious help on it, so how do you get over this artists' block.

 

[Kakumei]

As someone who has a prescription for such medication, I actually find it to be quite the opposite, for me.t

There is ALWAYS an exception to the rule. Me, and several friends of mine, had our creative minds stifled from a lot of meds like this.

I just stopped taking it and learned to focus all that mental energy. I feel like I have done pretty darn good for myself at this point.

Either way, either you are the exception, or I am. You just never know. xD

 

[Kagayours]

There is ALWAYS an exception to the rule. Me, and several friends of mine, had our creative minds stifled from a lot of meds like this.

I just stopped taking it and learned to focus all that mental energy. I feel like I have done pretty darn good for myself at this point.

Either way, either you are the exception, or I am. You just never know. xD

Never said everyone's experiences would be the same as mine. Just wanted to share another perspective on it.

 

[Kakumei]

Never said everyone's experiences would be the same as mine. Just wanted to share another perspective on it.

Oh, I hope I didn't seem like I was trying to debate what you were saying. I do understand what you mean, and I certainly appreciate the perspective. Life is so full of people with different experiences and I ideas, and I love it!

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

You two know if there were any studies done on that matter or not?

 

[Kakumei]

You two know if there were any studies done on that matter or not?

Were you directing that on me about the meds stifling peoples "creative processes"? Or something else?

I get confused if I'm not quoted. XD

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Were you directing that on me about the meds stifling peoples "creative processes"? Or something else?

I get confused if I'm not quoted. XD

It was directed at you and Kaga regarding the meds. :P

 

[Kakumei]

It was directed at you and Kaga regarding the meds. :P

No, but one of my friends is working with a Harvard professor in psychology and medicine? (not sure about the details exactly).

Basically, it looks at people like Glenn Beck, or Elon Musk who are wildly successful who think outside the box because they don't take meds for things like ADD and ADHD. Though, they do talk about more things than that.

I'll look to see if they have anything published yet or not, and post it here if they do.

Stuff like this is just ridiculously fascinating to me. n.n

 

[Kagayours]

You two know if there were any studies done on that matter or not?

I don't know about any studies, but, I mean, the idea that ADHD meds could stifle creativity does make some sense to me, given what it's intended to do.

It's supposed to make you more focused, so of course it makes sense that one's thinking would become less spontaneous. In my case, I find that helpful, because, unmedicated, my mind is continuously wandering towards a bunch of unrelated things and preventing me from staying focused on the actual art. The meds keep my focus where it needs to be. That said, I can understand why other people might feel less creative on those meds because, again, stopping your brain from wandering means less spontaneity.

That said, I feel it's also helpful to point out that these meds (or, at least adderall -- I'm under the assumption that the different brands all work essentially the same way, but, correct me if I'm wrong) aren't intended to bring long-term effects. Unlike in the case of, say, anti-depressants, which, when taken regularly, are supposed to create a lasting improvement in one's mood, etc, ADHD meds have more of an immediate effect. You take a pill, it lasts for a number of hours, and then it wears off, and you won't get the same effect until you take another pill.

I bring this up because I've seen a lot of people act as if these meds just completely change a person's thinking overall, as if regularly taking the meds is supposed to create a change in someone that's supposed to last 24/7, similarly to how anti-depressants are meant to work. But, at least in my case, I go through periods of being highly focused and rather unfocused throughout the day, because it's rather noticeable for me when my meds have worn off. Therefore, I still experience plenty of spontaneous thinking in those "low points" in the day where, as mentioned, countless ideas for things come to me, but I feel like I can't really do anything with those ideas until I'm focused and medicated (not to mention, most of the ideas that come to me are rather unusable in the sense that they aren't actually ideas for anything that I needed ideas for).

I realize that this response is kind of unfocused (no pun intended), but, what I'm trying to say is, taking these meds doesn't lead to a constant state of increased focus but decreased spontaneity/creativity. So, it's possible for one to still get ideas from being unmedicated, but then medicating in order to actually focus well enough to make use of those ideas. AT LEAST, going off of my own experience, anyway.

...I have no idea how to put my point into words. Most of the above paragraphs probably come off as incredibly rambly, so uh... yeah... :/ Hopefully at least parts of that made sense...

Edit: Am I being off-topic? I feel like I'm being off-topic.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Eh... Got a bit off-topic there at the end.

But it's fine if we stick to it's effects on being Artistic... I think.
Any ways, in that case I can totally see how there can be mixed results from such medication.