Depression Is Sometimes a Muse, Sometimes a Wall

Key points

The relationship between depression and creativity remains blurry.

Bipolar depression is especially associated with creativity, particularly during manic moods.

People who receive higher education in the arts may be more likely to struggle with depression.

Some have suggested that mild depression may enhance creativity while severe spells are more likely to hinder.

There is a trope of the melancholic artist giving the impression that to access beauty in our minds, we must pass through darkness. Some creatives fear that treatment for depression will banish this edge. Yet, the relationship between depression and creativity is much more cloudy.

At times, depression has cast my thoughts into a wad of paper. Looming sadness, low energy, and dimmed motivation aren't exac