Cannabis use does not increase actual creativity but does increase how creative you think you are, study finds https://t.co/igqO33B5g7
— Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman ⛵🛵 (@sbkaufman) October 31, 2022
Study, schmuddy. As a writer who didn’t start using cannabis until she was almost 50, I contest this interpretation of the data. What cannabis does is to still the random neuron-firing which distracts a creator from focusing on creation, and the head-voices which cause self-doubt about the quality and/or direction of the work. This does not necessarily “increase creativity” in those lacking sufficient introspection to question the quality of their own work, but it does increase creativity in those whose distractability or self-doubt creates a mental/emotional bottleneck in the creative process. In other words, for those whose neuroatypicality or lack of confidence impairs creative productivity, cannabis (used properly) can provide the equivalent of a creative retreat, a mental space where someone who might be more creative if freed from distractions can flourish. It’s not a Magic Wonder Weed from the Muses which will mystically plant art in the barren soil of unimaginative brains; it’s more akin to a cabin in the woods or a studio soundproofed against traffic noise. This is not a new idea, nor one limited to cannabis; it’s what Hemingway was getting at when he advised us to “write drunk, edit sober”. Inhibitions can harm the initial process of creation, but can actually be helpful in the finishing/polishing process.
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From Carl Sagan’s letters: