Touched With Fire

Biology 202
2003 Second Web Paper
On Serendip

Touched With Fire

Elizabeth Damore

In Touched with Fire: Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, Kay Redfield Jamison explores the compelling connection between mental disorders and artistic creativity. Artists have long been considered different from the general population, and one often hears tales of authors, painters, and composers who both struggle with and are inspired by their "madness". Jamison's text explores these stereotypes in a medical context, attributing some artists' irrational behaviors to mental disorders, particularly manic-depressive illness. In order to establish this link, Jamison presents an impressive collection of artists who have suffered from mental illness, whether diagnosed correctly during their lifetime or discovered in hindsight. Well organized and interesting, Jamison provides an ideal introduction to this still evolving idea, providing the reader with as many thought provoking questions as answers, and leaving the door open for further study.

Jamison begins with a brief explanation of manic-depressive illness and its effects on human behavior. The term "manic-depressive illness" refers to a variety of mental disorders which share similar symptoms, but range greatly in severity. These disorders alters one's mood and behaviors, disrupt established sleep and sexual patterns, and cause fluctuations in energy level. Manic-depressive illness cause cycles of manic, energized highs followed by debilitating, lethargic lows. Such disorders usually develop early in life and intensify over time, leading to maniacal highs and devastating lows. The manic energy associated with mental disorders may cause a person to require less sleep while raising energy levels increasing one's rate of thinking. These symptoms stimulate creativity and lead to an elevated level of productivity. Conversely, during the attendant lows associated with mental illness, the afflicted person experiences lethargy and hopelessness. Artists, in particular, often experience a creative block during their depressive periods, resulting in an intense frustration with their decreased productivity. In turn, this frustration may drive an artist to substance abuse, or even suicide. Depression is not the only cause of detrimental and possibly dangerous changes to one's behavior. Mania, of course, does not simply produce more creative energy. During a manic period, one tends to lose their grasp on reality, which could prompt irrational impatience, excessive spending, and impulsive sexual relations. Both manic and depressive periods alter behavior significantly and pose a threat to the patient's life.

After outlining the effects of manic-depressive illness on human behavior, Jamison presents profiles of some of the numerous artists who have suffered from some sort of mental disturbance. Among the most notable manes are Picasso, van Gogh, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Poe. Additionally, Jamison discusses a number of lesser known artists who were affected by manic-depressive illness. Indeed, one cannot help but wonder if these men and women were prevented from reaching greater career heights by their mental disorders. Many studies concerning the link between creativity and mental illness have been conducted in recent years, with compelling results. For instance, a study by Dr. Colin Martindale of eminent English and French poets found that over half of these artists had suffered nervous breakdowns, been institutionalized, or suffered from hallucinations and delusions. Likewise, a study by Dr. Arnold Ludwig found highest rates of "mania psychosis and psychiatric hospitalization [were] in poets" (1). Poets, of course, are not the only artists to suffer from manic-depressive illness. Indeed, Jamison lists a staggering number of painters, sculptors, and composers who also lived and created with severe mood disorders. Additionally, Jamison presents a detailed account of the madness of George Gordon, Lord Byron. Included are shorter, but equally compelling, case studies artists describing their mental illness and tracing the progression of their disease through family bloodlines.

However compelling the link between creativity and mental illness are, there are some flaws to consider. For instance, and most obviously, not all creative and productive artists have a mental disorder. Some writers and painters lead perfectly normal, healthy lives, finding their inspiration and creativity in other sources. One must not imply that creativity stems from madness, although many of the artists discussed by Jamison attribute their particular genius to the manic drive associated with mental illness. Also, one could also argue that madness hinders creativity rather than encouraging it. Many artists lose months of time to the stifling depression that follows manic periods, spending these potentially productive months unable to create. This depression, severe enough on its own, can increase greatly when an artist is frustrated with his or her inability to produce work at the manic level they once enjoyed. Additionally, it stands to reason that not every creative person suffers from a mental disorder. Indeed, although manic-depressive illness is more common among the artistic community, the majority of artists do not suffer from any sort of mental illness. This fact is easy to overlook when one considers the caliber of artists who have suffered from mental illness. Many prominent artists have been very upfront about their illnesses, and some even attribute their abilities to "madness". This gives the general public an impression that all truly great artists suffer from some form of dementia, which, of course, is a false assumption.

Jamison ends her book with a short discussion of how the medical community can deal with manic depressive illness through medication. This is a complicated issue, as many artists feel heavy medication will deprive them of their inspiration and interfere with their creativity. It is a thorny, and relatively new, question, and Jamison merely outlines the controversy without offering an opinion on what should be done to rectify the situation, leaving the door open for further research. Mental illness in artists is a fascinating subject, and Jamison does an excellent job of providing a through portrait of many artists who have grappled with manic-depressive disorder, in addition to exploring how these disorders affect creativity and productivity. Jamison also maintains an awareness of the objections to her attempts to draw a correlation between the mental illness and the artistic community, and addresses these issues accordingly.

References

1) Jamison, Kay Redfield. Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic
Temperament. Ontario: Free Press, 1993.