You know, I just... I woke up, and I looked in the mirror, and I thought, hey, what's with all the sin? I need to change. I'm... I'm dirty. I'm, I'm bad with the... sex and the envy and that, that loud music us kids listen to nowadays.

Buffy ,'Lessons'


Natter 69: Practically names itself.  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Frankenbuddha - Nov 15, 2011 7:36:52 am PST #6772 of 30001
"We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town...Beep! Beep!" - David Bowie, "Fashion"

Is Superdouchey Fallacy an official term?

More of a superdouchey phallus in this case.

Sorry your day's been so shitty, Tom.


Liese S. - Nov 15, 2011 7:37:24 am PST #6773 of 30001
"Faded like the lilac, he thought."

For me, even outside of meds, my depression/creativity is completely tied together. When it got to be too much, I had the ability to turn it off, but it all went together. So I was a music teacher with an outreach to hurting kids who couldn't feel or write or play or sing. It kinda didn't work. But it's awfully painful to stay open to all that stuff. Yet at the moment I choose it, because I love it.


Allyson - Nov 15, 2011 7:39:59 am PST #6774 of 30001
Wait, is this real-world child support, where the money goes to buy food for the kids, or MRA fantasyland child support where the women just buy Ferraris and cocaine? -Jessica

I wonder what it is, genetically that causes it. Sort of like sickle cell/malaria? Like, "hooray, I have this genetic protection against malaria...boo, I also have sickle cell."

Is there some genetic thing that involves creativity that also causes depression/mental illness? I'd love to know.


tommyrot - Nov 15, 2011 7:41:38 am PST #6775 of 30001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

Is there some genetic thing that involves creativity that also causes depression/mental illness?

There's been a lot of conjecture and a fair amount of research on this. Can't remember any results, though.


sumi - Nov 15, 2011 7:45:48 am PST #6776 of 30001
Art Crawl!!!

Thank you, Sue.


§ ita § - Nov 15, 2011 7:45:49 am PST #6777 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

Is there some genetic thing that involves creativity that also causes depression/mental illness?

I don't think there is, completely. I mean, you don't have to be depressed to be creative, and there's no assurance that being depressed makes for better output. And I do seem to remember reading that it was only a romantic association of the tormented artist.

I know when I get depressed, I'm completely blocked. I gave up drawing and photography when I busted my knee years ago, and it took me forever to get back into either of them. Since my mother got diagnosed, I haven't been able to write or draw a lick yet.


amych - Nov 15, 2011 7:48:37 am PST #6778 of 30001
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

Is there some genetic thing that involves creativity that also causes depression/mental illness?

Strong correlations at the very least, although I have no idea about the current state of genetic research. Kay Redfield Jamison is a good name to start with -- she's a Psychiatry prof at JHU, as well as the author of some solid books on mental illness for non-academic audiences, one of which is specifically on artistic/creative temperament and bipolar disorders.

edit: and she has damned little patience with "I'm so tortured! I must suffer for my art!" stuff, which is a blessing IMO.


tommyrot - Nov 15, 2011 7:51:20 am PST #6779 of 30001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

Strong correlations at the very least,

That's what I had thought. But maybe the correlation is between "people who are prone to depression" and creativity. I mean, maybe if you're prone to depression you might still be less creative when actually experiencing depression.


Allyson - Nov 15, 2011 7:52:19 am PST #6780 of 30001
Wait, is this real-world child support, where the money goes to buy food for the kids, or MRA fantasyland child support where the women just buy Ferraris and cocaine? -Jessica

And I do seem to remember reading that it was only a romantic association of the tormented artist.

I don't think it's romantic as it is just desperately trying to find some good out of it. I grasp at those straws, too. It's not rational, maybe.


Consuela - Nov 15, 2011 7:54:05 am PST #6781 of 30001
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix

But maybe the correlation is between "people who are prone to depression" and creativity. I mean, maybe if you're prone to depression you might still be less creative when actually experiencing depression.

Yeah. When I've been depressed, I haven't been very creative.