Does alcohol affect creativity?

BY COLLEEN CANCIO (HSW-CONTACT.HTM)         HEALTH (HTTP://HEALTH.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM/) | DRUGS &

ALCOHOL (HTTP://HEALTH.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM/WELLNESS/DRUGS-ALCOHOL)

Browse the article Does alcohol affect creativity? (http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-

alcohol/alcohol-affect-creativity.htm)

Painter Jackson Pollock often struggled with alcoholism, but are drinking and creativity connected? TONY VACCARO/GETTY

IMAGES

"Write drunk, edit sober" is my approach to this article. Just kidding — that clever quip

represents Peter De Vries' approach to writing novels [source: Goodreads

(https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/84190-sometimes-i-write-drunk-and-revise-sober-

and-sometimes-i)]. Whether true or not, it calls to mind the cliché that alcohol boosts

creativity (http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/family/parenting/child-

development/creativity-quiz.htm). But is this notion rooted in reality? For insight, let's look

at some examples.

History gives us many cases of creative geniuses who drank alcohol, some to excess. One of

America's most famous painters of the 20th century was Jackson Pollock, who battled

alcoholism throughout his life [source: Biography

(http://www.biography.com/people/jackson-pollock-9443818)]. Celebrated singers have

also succumbed to alcohol addiction, with Amy Winehouse providing a recent example

[source: Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/08/amy-winehouse-

alcohol-poisoning-inquest)]. American icon Marilyn Monroe

(http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/marilyn-monroe-quiz.htm) drank to excess, and

alcohol was linked with her tragic death [source: Kashner

(http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/11/marilyn-monroe-201011)].

The literary world may have more than its share of alcohol enthusiasts, including Tennessee

Williams, William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald [source: Morrison

(http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/20/why-do-writers-drink-alcohol)]. Hunter

S. Thompson once said, "I'd hate to advocate drugs, alcohol or insanity to anyone — but

they've always worked for me" [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists

(http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/press/pressreleases2010/artandalcohol.aspx)].

With so many examples of devotion to drink among famous artists, one might conclude that

intoxication fuels creativity. Fortunately for anyone who's considering a career in the arts, the

opposite is true. In fact, alcohol likely stifles creativity, especially if consumed in large

quantities.

The essential problem with the persistent misconception that alcohol boosts creativity is that

it's difficult to dispute. Rarely does anyone make the news for being creative and sober.

According to British addiction expert and psychiatrist Dr. Iain Smith, while many great artists

are known for their heavy reliance on alcohol, much of their most important work was likely

done while sober [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists

(http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/press/pressreleases2010/artandalcohol.aspx)]. "The idea that

drugs and alcohol give artists unique insights and powerful experiences is an illusion," he

said. "When you try and capture the experiences [triggered by drugs or alcohol], they are often

nonsense" [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists

(http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/press/pressreleases2010/artandalcohol.aspx)].

An additional perspective is that while moderate or occasional drinking may temporarily

boost creativity in some people, the long-term negative effects of alcohol on creative

expression outweigh that boost [source: Pritzker (https://books.google.com/books?

id=cpc7CJH1-

s8C&pg=PA610&lpg=PA610&dq=myth+alcohol+enhances+creativity&source=bl&ots=nL4o

BMGkaH&sig=4d09C8Reh4FCVOaLuBqstqBB9rc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6DUzVauKB-

ffsATs_4CoAQ&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCTgK)]. And those long-term effects include some pretty

nasty symptoms, especially in the brain, such as impaired memory and learning problems

[source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

(http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm)].

What's the true role of alcohol in creativity? Alcohol is an excellent tool for boosting

confidence and feelings of well-being. In a 2012 study, researchers showed that when

subjects consumed alcohol, their brains released an excess of endorphins known to cause

feelings of pleasure and reward [source: University of California San Francisco

(http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2012/01/11298/study-offers-clue-why-alcohol-addicting)].

Similarly, a French research team recently reported an alcohol-related boost in self

confidence in study participants, even when the beverages were secretly swapped with non-

alcoholic ones. It turns out you don't necessarily need to drink the alcohol, you just need to

think you do [source: Beque (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23560668)].

So, if you're an emerging artist, turning to booze won't help your creativity, but it's possible

that a drink might make you more confident about presenting your creative work to the world.

It makes you wonder whether a correct understanding of alcohol's role in creativity may have

changed the path of one of the many creative giants who suffered alcohol's ill effects.

Related Articles

The Secrets to Creativity: how much do you know?

(http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/family/parenting/child-

development/creativity-quiz.htm)

How the Lost Generation Works (http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-

traditions/generation-gaps/lost-generation.htm)

Celebrity Challenge: Famous Artists

(http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/famous-artist-quiz.htm)

How Jackson Pollock Worked

(http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/jackson-pollock.htm)

How Rehab Works (http://people.howstuffworks.com/rehab.htm)

Sources

Beque L, et al. "Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder: people who think they

are drunk also think they are attractive." Br J Psychol. May 2013. (April 19, 2015)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23560668

Biography. "Jackson Pollock." (April 19, 2015)

http://www.biography.com/people/jackson-pollock-9443818

Goodreads. "Peter De Vries." (April 19, 2015)

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/84190-sometimes-i-write-drunk-and-revise-

sober-and-sometimes-i

Kashner, Sam. "Marilyn and her monsters." November 2010. (April 19, 2015)

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/11/marilyn-monroe-201011

Morrison, Blake. "Why do writers drink?" The Guardian. July 20, 2013. (April 19,

2015) http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/20/why-do-writers-drink-

alcohol

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. "Alcohol's damaging

effects on the brain." October 2004. (April 19, 2015)

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm

O'Brien, CP. "Alcoholism: The Dana Guide." The Dana Foundation. June 2009.

O'Brien, Jennifer. "Study offers clue as to why alcohol is addicting." University

of California San Francisco. Jan. 11, 2012. (April 19, 2015)

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2012/01/11298/study-offers-clue-why-alcohol-

addicting

Pritzker, Steven R. "Encyclopedia of Creativity." Academic Press. 1999. (April 15,

2015) https://books.google.com/books?id=cpc7CJH1-

s8C&pg=PA610&lpg=PA610&dq=myth+alcohol+enhances+creativity&source=bl&o

ts=nL4oBMGkaH&sig=4d09C8Reh4FCVOaLuBqstqBB9rc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6DUzVau

KB-

ffsATs_4CoAQ&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=myth%20alcohol%20enhan

ces%20cr

Royal College of Psychiatrists. "Alcohol and drugs stifle creativity." June 24,

2010. (April 18, 2015)

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/press/pressreleases2010/artandalcohol.aspx