Does alcohol affect creativity?

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

Painter Jackson Pollock often struggled with alcoholism, but are drinking and creativity connected? TONY VACCARO/GETTY
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"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-soberand-sometimes-i)]. Whether true or not, it calls to mind the clich that alcohol boosts
creativity (http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/family/parenting/childdevelopment/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-winehousealcohol-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=cpc7CJH1s8C&pg=PA610&lpg=PA610&dq=myth+alcohol+enhances+creativity&source=bl&ots=nL4o
BMGkaH&sig=4d09C8Reh4FCVOaLuBqstqBB9rc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6DUzVauKBffsATs_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 nonalcoholic 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.

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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-revisesober-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-drinkalcohol
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)
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Pritzker, Steven R. "Encyclopedia of Creativity." Academic Press. 1999. (April 15,
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