A Qualitative Study on the Effects of Psychoactive Substance use upon Artistic Creativity

Abstract

Background: Psychoactive substance use has often been claimed to help generate and facilitate the artistic creative process.

Aims: This study explored the role of artists' substance use in their creative processes and their efforts to balance between enhancement and relaxation.

Methods: Semistructured interviews concerning the artistic creative process and the role of psychoactive substance use were recorded with 72 artists and analyzed using content analysis. The participants were classified according to their substance use in three groups (Cannabis Group, Alcohol Group, and Control Group).

Results: Results show that both alcohol and cannabis were used to facilitate creativity and the emotional states that are necessary for the artistic creative process. Participants in the Control group reported that listening to music might function as a mind-altering tool. It was also found that for some artists, substance use is not only characteristic to creation, but it is also part of their everyday lives.

Conclusion: Artists are aware of the balancing phenomenon during the artistic creative process. Whether psychoactive substance(s) or other environmental stimuli (such as music) are used to reach the required effect appears to depend upon the individual.

Keywords: Creativity; alcohol; artist; cannabis; music; psychoactive substance use.