Is Pain Necessary for Creativity?

Decoding the tortured artist narrative

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In order to create something brilliant, do we need to be in a state of imbalance? Does brilliance always need a touch of insanity?

The narrative that creative geniuses often suffer from addictive personalities or mental disorders that fuel their creativity, isn’t a new one.

We hear of artists paying obeisance to their gin and cigarettes in the form of their muses. Almost like their bodies can’t be bothered to hold on to all that furious passion, it must seep out through some form of malfunction. Malfunction which then gives rise to great literature.

Much like the Van Goghs, Anne Franks, Edgar Allan Poes of the world, people endure heart-wrenching pain, either to rise phoenix-like from the ashes of their troubles, or to succumb further into depravity. Add to the list the Mediumites who share the deep depressions of their lives to a compassionate clapping audience.

Scientific backing for said narrative:

have shown that people in creative professions are have gene variants that increase the risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. deCODE Genetics co-founder said regarding the findings, “Often, when people are creating something…