just sayin'

Comments: 61

Elizabeth O. Mar 1, 2010, 9:14am UTC

pop ~ off to read.

Elizabeth O. Mar 1, 2010, 9:39am UTC

I knew this about a lot of these people ~ not Edna St. Vincent Millay nor Louise May Alcott though.

Is that a Cord that Francoise Sagan is standing by!

I can't help but wonder how much better the creativity of these literary geniuses would be if they didn't have their addictions... or would it...just sayin'

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 9:49am UTC

i didn't know about alcott or browning, and was suprised about philip k. dick, also.

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Otelia S. Mar 1, 2010, 9:46am UTC

Eye-Opening!!!!!!Just saying,,,
Thanks for sharing.

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 9:50am UTC

ain't it, though. good morning, otelia : )

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Peter Joseph Swanson Mar 1, 2010, 10:46am UTC

Oh my

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 10:48am UTC

browning? opium? i woulda never thunk it

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Peter Joseph Swanson Mar 1, 2010, 10:47am UTC

I was afraid we'd be up there - we ain't. ha ha

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 10:47am UTC

we've got time ; )

Elizabeth O. Mar 1, 2010, 10:54am UTC

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!! Neither of you had ever be there, I can be a force you do not want to reckon with, if pushed. Got it?

Peter Joseph Swanson Mar 1, 2010, 12:23pm UTC

me ... my boxed burgundy from California - *hick*

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 12:28pm UTC

i hear 2010 is a very good year for boxed burgundy.

Liz H. Mar 1, 2010, 12:54pm UTC

February 2010 sublime!

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 11:56pm UTC

do they make wine in cans?

david f. Mar 2, 2010, 7:54am UTC

LMAO - i can be a new generation of consumer!!!

did you notice that all the pictures they showed of people having a good time, none of them were holding a can of wine

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Liz H. Mar 1, 2010, 11:53am UTC

Quite a gallery...but drug/alcohol abuse also seems to afflict the everyday person at a fairly high rate (given the popularity of AA, Al-Anon, ACOA, Narcotics Anonymous...). So, something else going on...unless there's a helluva a lot more blocked creatives out there than ever imagined...

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 11:58am UTC

it knows no borders - fun for the whole family no matter how popular, creative, rich. . .

Liz H. Mar 1, 2010, 12:07pm UTC

fun (not equal to) "fun"

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 12:08pm UTC

as in disFUNctional

Liz H. Mar 1, 2010, 12:09pm UTC

Yep!

Liz H. Mar 1, 2010, 12:11pm UTC

I'm just sayin'....;-)

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elizabeth evans Mar 1, 2010, 12:23pm UTC

Thanks for posting to Triple Name Club.

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J. Reid Mar 1, 2010, 3:06pm UTC

At least 2 of my English lit profs' shared the ills of addiction of many writers they lectured on. It appears that writing, being such a solitary life, lends one to other stimuli and depressants. Some to the point of their demise. Even contemporary writers like Stephen King required a bad habit to rid himself of his demons and after, the alcohol had to be abandoned.

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 4:04pm UTC

when i'm alone and writing, i'm fine - it's when i have to go out and socialize that a little boost would seem nice. i wonder if it's that way for others.

J. Reid Mar 1, 2010, 4:35pm UTC

I find a glass of wine or a shot of Brandy allows me to NOT think about my writing! Many who enjoy writing need some motivation to communicate with others and put the writing down even when on a roll.

One of my writing profs told me not to write, just take in the day. She was great and when I feel stressed or overwhelmed I stop writing and do something else or nothing at all.

A change is as good as a rest!

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 4:56pm UTC

very good advice

J. Reid Mar 1, 2010, 5:11pm UTC

:^) Works for me! :^)

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Alison H. Mar 1, 2010, 3:15pm UTC

Very interesting...Millay had a lot of health challenges and I imagine she was self-medicating for pain...she was addicted to morphine near the end of her life. Of course, she did "burn the candle," too.

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 4:06pm UTC

a number of writers mentioned i wasn't familiar with (incl. millay) their private lives. i found the opium addictions quite surprising.

Alison H. Mar 1, 2010, 4:13pm UTC

For a long time, opium and opiates were thought to be harmless. Like tobacco...

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 4:15pm UTC

and a number of others

Alison H. Mar 1, 2010, 4:37pm UTC

You're right

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Cathi L. Mar 1, 2010, 7:05pm UTC

That's so sad though. I understand that many of these addictions were a part of the times but I never thought the motto is: It's a Writer's Fate to Self Medicate.

I echo some of the other comments, would they have been more creative if they were able to fully FEEL? Or is that creativity in reflection during the loss of feeling? How strange.

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 7:19pm UTC

i think the creativity was always be there, it just took a different path

Cathi L. Mar 1, 2010, 7:54pm UTC

I apologize for my naivete on substance abuse and creativity. I've only seen the bad side of self-medicating and substance abuse and hadn't really put much thought into creativity and substance abuse, though I should have.

I'm fairly sure I'm in the minority in understanding here, amongst all you creative people. :)

So for those of us in the dark, or even if it's only me, your article peaked my interest in looking a little further and I found some very interesting reading, well, interesting to me. If any one would like to read, it is:

Literary and biographical perspectives on substance use

There were other articles, but this one seemed to explain things quite well.

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 8:29pm UTC

fascinating article, cathi - thanks for sharing it. (and you have no reason to apologize for anything)

Cathi L. Mar 1, 2010, 9:45pm UTC

Well I'm sure there are SOME things I should be apologizing for somewhere along the line. :)

I'll keep it as a just in case and use it later?

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Jason Hillenburg Mar 1, 2010, 10:50pm UTC

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977973186

Jason Hillenburg Mar 1, 2010, 10:55pm UTC

I'm well versed on the subject. Take that however you want to.

Two great books on the subject - Alcohol and the Writer and The Thirsty Muse.

It's a subject worthy of study and I'm always surprised when I hear about creative people who don't struggle with substance abuse or mental health issues. It's always one or the other or both.

david f. Mar 1, 2010, 11:22pm UTC

an excellent post, jason - thanks for sharing it. it generated some good discussion. i do beleive it's a world wide problem though - what makes it more uniquely american (or at least the free world) is we do have the freedom to write what we want - we're not under the scrutiny of the government - at least compared to other countries.