Ameiican Pop Cultuie

Biugs anu Rock anu Roll

!"#$%&" ()*+, -./01 #)%, !)%/2%2 &3$4*)& 4/56 7&%8&&5 ")902: ;)&#%/</%=> by Emily 0inbeig
!"# %&'()*+, %"-&.+/'# Publisheu: 11-uS-12
http:columbiachionicle.comhigh-ait-aitists-exploie-link-between-uiugs-cieativity
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1.) Bow many aitists, (musicians, etc.), can you think of that use some soit of
uiug.
a. Bo you think it's common foi aitist to use uiugs. WhyWhy not
2.) Why uo you think some aitists use uiugs.

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It is well-uocumenteu that aitists such as Salvauoi Bali, Chailes Bickens
anu }imi Benuiix useu uiugs while piouucing theii woik. Fiancis Ciick was
allegeuly consuming low uoses of LSB when he uiscoveieu the uouble helix
stiuctuie of the BNA molecule. Steve }obs saiu LSB was one of the "most
impoitant" expeiiences of his life. Influential banus like The Beatles anu The
Rolling Stones useu copious amounts of naicotics while making music in the '6us.
But the use of uiugs to stimulate cieativity has been a consistent contioveisy in
the ait woilu.
Louis Silveistein, a piofessoi in the Bumanities, Bistoiy anu Social
Sciences Bepaitment, who publisheu "Beep Spiiit & uieat Beait: Living in
Naiijuana Consciousness" in 2u12, explaineu that uiug use to spui cieativity
uates back to piimitive societies. People ingesteu psycheuelic oi hallucinogenic
uiugs to see images, communicate with ueities oi uniavel the mysteiies of the
woilu. They woulu then use theii tools to shaie theii expeiiences thiough ait.
Silveistein saiu those who take minu-alteiing substances often entei states of
being that allow them to expiess themselves in a way that woulun't be possible
while sobei.
"Ny peisonal take on it |is thatj if theie's a substance that can allow a
peison to get in touch with theii aitistic selves oi theii highei selves, anu
that substance is not inheiently haimful anu the people who use that
substance |aie using itj in a uisciplineu, iespectful way, why not."
Silveistein saiu.
Fiom 199S to 2uuS, the most iecent yeais that uata is available, the
numbei of college stuuents who abuseu opioius like Peicocet, vicouin anu
0xyContin incieaseu S4S peicent; the abuse of stimulants like Ritalin anu
Auueiall incieaseu 9S peicent; use of anti-anxiety meuication like Xanax anu
valium jumpeu 4Su peicent; anu use of seuatives like Nembutal anu Seconal
incieaseu 22S peicent. The numbei of college stuuents' who use maiijuana uaily
moie than uoubleu to S1u,uuu uuiing the same peiiou, anu cocaine, heioin anu
othei illegal uiug use went up S2 peicent to 6S6,uuu, accoiuing to the stuuy.
Almost S8 peicent of college auministiatois who paiticipateu in the stuuy
saiu the ieason foi incieaseu uiug use is the public peiception that substance
use by college stuuents is a noimal )/%& *( $#22#0&.
It shoulun't mattei if the enus justify the means in iegaius to ait, |Biyan
Lewisj Saunueis saiu. Be saiu though he believes eveiyone shoulu be open to
eveiy type of influence anu inspiiation, theie will always be people who
sciutinize aitistic inspiiation.
"People always seem to caie about how ait was cieateu . It shoulun't
mattei," Saunueis saiu. "In ait school, when they showeu me a }ackson
Pollock oi something, somebouy woulu say 'Wasn't he uiunk. Biun't he
Ameiican Pop Cultuie
Biugs anu Rock anu Roll

!"#$%&" ()*+, -./01 #)%, !)%/2%2 &3$4*)& 4/56 7&%8&&5 ")902: ;)&#%/</%=> by Emily 0inbeig
!"# %&'()*+, %"-&.+/'# Publisheu: 11-uS-12
http:columbiachionicle.comhigh-ait-aitists-exploie-link-between-uiugs-cieativity
go to a mental hospital.' They always got caught up in a sensational-type
uiama."
Although aitists may use uiugs to help cieativity, occasional uiug use can
tuin into abuse anu auuiction. 0ntieateu mental illness anu uiug auuiction
affecteu the lives of many famous aitists incluuing vincent van uogh, Fiiua Kahlo
anu Benii ue Toulouse-Lautiec.
In a }uly 2u11 aiticle foi Scientific Ameiican magazine, Baviu Linuen, a
piofessoi of neuioscience at }ohns Bopkins 0niveisity School of Neuicine,
explaineu that the link between uiug use anu auuiction is connecteu to
"pieiequisites" foi cieativity.
Aftei conuucting stuuies on the heiitability of auuiction, Linuen founu
that 4u peicent of a peison's pieuisposition to substance auuiction is genetically
ueteimineu. Although theie is no single "auuiction gene," the known genes cause
a uecieaseu signaling of the neuiotiansmittei uopamine foi pleasuie anu
iewaiu. Thiough biain-imaging stuuies anu biochemistiy tests in iats anu
monkeys, Linuen founu that auuicts ciave pleasuie moie often but feel it less
intensely.
This ieuuceu ieceptivity to uopamine may piompt uiug-auuleu aitists to
cieate moie woik, Linuen saiu. Be founu that caiiieis of these genetic vaiiants
aie moie likely to take iisks, seek out new expeiiences anu act compulsively.
Though none of these tiaits aie uiiectly ielateu to cieativity, Linuen saiu they
may leau aitists to push themselves fuithei anu motivate them to show theii
piojects to otheis.
Chiistophei Kingston, an intake cooiuinatoi at New Bope Recoveiy, a
Chicago auuiction tieatment centei, saiu many aitists in tieatment feel they
won't be as cieative if they give up uiugs oi alcohol.
"Fiom what we've seen, that might be the case at fiist because they'ie so
useu to using |uiugsj in oiuei to be cieative," Kingston saiu. "But aftei
longei caie with these inuiviuuals, they iealize they can be moie cieative
when they can be moie sobei."
Be saiu constant substance abuse will ultimately hinuei aitistic innovation
because it impaiis juugment anu may cause biain uamage.
"}ust like anything, uiugs anu alcohol aie going to get in the way of
|cieativityj eventually," Kingston saiu. "I'm not going to say that it uoesn't
help one be cieative, but youi full potential foi anything isn't theie when
you'ie using uiugs anu uiinking uaily."

B/2;922/*5,

S.) Bo you feel that uiugs can help aitists. 0i uo you think that they can be
moie cieative without uiugs.
4.) When famous pop stais use uiugs, anu the public knows about it, what
affect uo you think it has on Pop Cultuie.
S.) What "iites of passage aie common foi college stuuents in Koiea.
Consiuei. Biinkingsmokinguiug useuating etc.
6.) It is a Steieotype in Ameiica that aitists use uiugs. Is it the same in Koiea.
7.) What uo you think countiies uo to pievent young people fiom using
uiugs.