Posted by Barbara Cat on July 16, 2003, at 13:53:35
In reply to Re: Gosford Park, Li and creativity, posted by fluffy on July 16, 2003, at 13:03:03
Gosford Park was truly boring and dumb. Robert Altman's obsessive chitter-chatter movies are annoying at best. I can't believe it got some kind of Oscar. I gave away my copy to the local library so perhaps some other poor soul is getting a good night's sleep.
I'm an artist, not making a living on it but have certain talents that seem to go along with bipolar. I play piano, flute, sing, and teach dance part time. I also dabble with watercolor. In my bipolar career, I've started numerous art projects for which I had talent and passion, but no focus or staying power. My garage looks like an art supply warehouse. No one could possibly carry through with all those creative ideas in two or three lifetimes.
I've found my creative output (not necessarily my creativity, which is part of me) has been enhanced tremendously with lithium and lamictal. I may not get the flashes of sublime inspiration, but at least I can rub two thoughts together and carry through with my projects. I don't think those epiphanies are ever wasted, however. They live in my neural networks and still inspire me. I was much too frazzled before and resorted to wine and opiods to ground me. Fat chance of getting anything meaningful done while snookered. Or paralyzed with bleak despair.
I wonder about the visual arts vs. the more tactile ones. Everything was so much more intense when I was tweaked, colors, shapes. Vincent Van Gogh still painted during the worst of his manias. But I don't think intense vivid angst is the only worthwhile art subject. There is beauty and perfection in the simplicity of a zen watercolor.
poster:Barbara Cat
thread:9730
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030714/msgs/242549.html