...between mental health and creativity.
<A Rough and Raw Draft!>
Recently I have been exploring research that explores the relationship between the two. I wanted to understand more about myself, my family history (both of my parents were and still are very creative and both have experienced long term mental health conditions) and how I can pursue my path in tapping into other people's creative potential.
To begin, I will explore brain chemistry as this is an internal biological factor that can determine the potential for imbalances that result in mental health conditions presenting. To keep it as simple as possible, I will focus on dopamine and serotonin levels and explore their impact on our wellbeing and creative potential. I will include definitions and links to research for those who would like to explore these factors in more depth. Finally, I will explore definitions of creativity and what implications and opportunities lie in the future of art based therapies and creating a suitable environment for creativity to take place.
Dopamine
Firstly, Dopamine is a natural chemical substance that is produced from the amino acid tyrosine by a mid-brain structure called the substantia nigra. As a neurotransmitter, dopamine transmits chemical signals from the dopamine-containing neurons to target cells that contain dopamine receptors (LiveStrong, 2018). Dopamine aids control the brain's reward and pleasure centres. Dopamine assists in regulating movement and emotional responses, and it can enable us to see rewards and employ motivation to drive action to move these goals of reward. Dopamine deficiency can result in Parkinson's Disease, and people with low dopamine activity may be more prone to addiction. The presence of a certain kind of dopamine receptor is also associated with sensation-seeking people, more commonly known as "risk takers" (Psychology Today, 2018).
There are five classifications of dopamine receptors in the brain and body, defined as Drd1(D1), Drd2(D2), Drd3(D3), Drd4(D4), Drd5(D5). Each receptor function can impact people in different ways. (LiveStrong, 2018).
De Manzano, Cervenka, Karabanov, Farde & Ullén (2010) investigated the relationship between creative ability and dopamine D2 receptor expression in healthy individuals, with a focus on regions where aberrations in dopaminergic function have previously been associated with psychotic symptoms and a genetic liability to schizophrenia.
A low density of D2 receptors in the thalamus affects people's ability to filter out information. With more information coming in from the thalamus, it is possible for creative people to see unusual connections that other people don't see. This can be a gift in a problem-solving situations, but it can also result in a misinterpretation of other people's intentions (LiveStrong, 2018). To put things simply, this can be understood as a flood of information, imagine a sensory overload into a sieve, but many of the draining holes are clogged (less receptors to filter out the information) and this can result in feeling overwhelmed and disorganized thinking.
Serotonin
Serotonin is another neurotransmitter and it can determine "whether you are operating from a sense of calm and contentment or from a position of anxiety and fear" (Underwood, 2014). Raised stress hormones such as cortisol counteract the creativity-boosting effects of serotonin. This can result in stressed-out people feeling less open to new ideas or innovative changes (Shiv, 2012).
When people experience depression, they can experience a lack of motivation and lose interest in meeting their daily needs such as eating and drinking, self care and sleep can be disrupted. Many antidepressant medications focus on the Serotonin pathway, SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) SNRIs (Serotonin & norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) and tricyclic's (act on Serotonin, Norepinephrine and Dopamine pathways). Anti-depressants can help people resume improved daily functioning, due to the change in the internal environment.
Creativity and open mind thinking
"Even those of us not in explicitly creative fields must come up with new ideas and insights in order to move ahead. How can we shake up the way we think? Creativity has been pegged to conducive environments, perfect collaborators, personality traits, serendipity, and even spiritual muses. While research psychologists are interested in increasing innovative thinking, clinical psychologists sometimes encourage patients to use artistic expression as a way to confront difficult feelings" (Psychology Today, 2018).
De Manzano et al (2010) stated that "creativity can be generically defined as the ability to produce work that is at the same time novel and meaningful, as opposed to trivial or bizarre".
Understanding the impact of internal and external environments
When thinking about creating the right environment for optimal creativity to take place, it is important to recognise both internal and external environments. Each one does not exist in isolation, essentially how we feel internally (due to our brain chemistry) can impact how we view the external environment. Seeing things as we are, rather as they are. We must also bear in mind the influence of the external environment on our brain chemistry, if we are in a safe and calm environment, this can raise serotonin and lower stress levels making us more open fulfilling our creative potential. In relation to Dopamine imbalances, De Manzano et al (2010) speculated that "thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box".
Palumbo (2012) refers to feelings of anxiety as "these deeply embedded, childhood-derived, seemingly inescapable Dark-Night-of-the-Soul feelings can, in fact, be crippling, regardless of your level of craft or years of experience. And, as I've said countless times to the creative patients in my practice, struggling with these doubts and fears doesn't say anything about you as an artist. Other than that you are an artist".
Shiv (2012) suggests that right neurochemical cocktail for your best creative work is a high level of both serotonin and dopamine as this can produce a condition in which you are calm but energized. He recommends the best way to achieve this is through a good night's sleep. Without a decent period of deep sleep — a minimum of 30 minutes, but up to 2 hours is good — your cortisol, or "stress" chemical level, will remain high, and that of serotonin, the "calming" chemical, low. And, unfortunately, we tend to lose out on deep sleep as we age (Shiv, 2012).
"Diet also affects your neuromoderators. A high-protein breakfast is the best brain food. The proteins produced in the body from it are converted to the much-coveted serotonin and dopamine. A high- carbohydrate breakfast won't have the same effect. Fortified with good sleep and food, be sure to get regular cardiovascular exercise. When the heart muscles start pumping faster they release a peptide that is considered to help produce serotonin" (Shiv, 2012).
Art therapy can be particularly useful for those who are struggling to understand or put into words how they feel when experiencing difficult emotions. Palumbo (2012) encourages expression of this through: - "Create monologues, rants, vitriolic exchanges between characters, letting passions and behaviors emerge that may astound or alarm you; that stretch or distort or even demolish the narrative you've been working with. These problems can all be dealt with, deleted, perhaps even woven into the story later, in the cool light of day, when you have some kind of perspective. Because to be truly in the eye of the emotional storm, to create from a state of anxiety, is to surrender any fantasy of perspective. In fact, in the purest sense, it's the ultimate act of creative surrender from which, out of the crucible of your deepest pain, you might discover a joyful, wonderful surprise."
Palumbo (2012) expressed that "for those artists who have the courage to embrace their own fears, to co-exist with potentially crippling anxiety and create anyway, the rewards can be significant".
To conclude, upon exploring the links between brain chemistry and creativity. I have been able to distinguish some links that can aid the artist/art therapist's understanding when working creatively with people with mental health conditions. Through my search, I have identified that I need to look deeper into the psychology and perspective of the individual as this could highlight further insights into barriers to creativity.
"You may want to change your perspective. But even with an entreaty to think differently, even when there is no lack of psychological safety, even when you know what the other perspective would lead you to perceive, it is still hard to change your perspective without help. That help is not motivation or encouragement, it is discovering the mental pivot points that restructure your perspective. Finding the pivot points is actually something people can learn to do more effectively1. But it takes time" (Lowenstein & Cronin, 2018).
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