Posted by JohnB on May 8, 2000, at 21:17:24
In reply to Drugs for Creativity? , posted by DC on May 8, 2000, at 7:06:44
The issue of artists and drugs is a complex one.. Since the beginning of humankind shamans, artists, and healers have been using herbs as well as other techniques such as fasting in pursuit of the "vision quest". But it was usually done within a the framework of beliefs and tribal culture. I personally knew an Indian shaman or "medicine man" who would supervise groups in the desert.
Many of the shamans are in fact what we might call "strong, grounded, realistic minded personalities". If they wanted to break though to the other side, they might need strong medicine.
But many creative people are already THERE, ie., they are already highly sensitive, or possibly even have problems such as this board deals with. For them taking drugs for creative or other reasons can be risky. For every artist who got some benefit from an altered state, there are probably 20 sensitive souls who were harmed, or possibly even in a few cases spiraled down the tubes because of drugs; not to mention the 5,000 "normal" non-artists drinking or drugging recreationally who probably shouldn't be. So the question is; are you strong, grounded, smart, educated, knowledgeable and humble? And if you're posting on this board you have to ask yourself- "how lucky do I feel?".
Yeh, Picasso was taking opium when he broke through to Cubism, and Kerouac took and drank a lot, but these were major league players, both tough-as-nails, who were already totally immersed in their fields. And in the case of Kerouac, who I think was a depressive, the drink consumed him.
So the idea I would suggest is this. Become totally immersed in whatever it is you want to write, and you will probably find the ideas will come.
To quote Dennis Miller; "Of course that's just my opinion - I could be wrong."
poster:JohnB
thread:32741
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000508/msgs/32830.html