Have you ever experienced a strong burst of creativity, like a long stretch of productive daily writing, and then felt a crash when the wave crested? You’re not alone, and apparently, we can blame our brains.

These findings aren’t new, but they’re new to me, thanks to a recent post by Anne Allen on her blog. Not long ago (relatively speaking), scientists identified an anatomical link between the creative part of the brain and the part in charge of depression. Specifically, the part of the brain that activates depressive episodes is also the part we use for complex thoughts (i.e.: creativity).

Researchers have even suggested that humans developed depression – along with over-thinking and disinterest in daily living – as a way to boost our problem-solving skills. In other words, fat, happy, well-fed people do not invent better mousetraps. Other researchers believe that mild depression correlates to stronger writing, because we overthink and are more critical of our work. In other words, the fat happy writer is satisfied with their first draft.

Now the question – does this circuit flow both ways? If mild depression is conducive to creative thinking, can spending too much time in a creative flow state trigger a depressive episode?

It’s possible? Allen believes this can be the case, but I’m not convinced. I suspect the post-creativity crash – to the extent you have one – results more from physical and mental fatigue than actual depression. It may also be a result of exiting a fictional world where you enjoy the powers of creation and control and having to return to {gestures broadly at everything} this place.

Also, the other articles I’ve read haven’t differentiated between mild and severe depression. As someone who has dealt with depression for most of my life, I can confirm there is a big difference between feeling mildly disinterested in your hobbies and having to make a concerted physical effort to get out of bed or take a shower. The former might engage some creative problem-solving, but the latter makes simple activities feel impossible.

That said, the list of creative geniuses who battle depression is deep and encompasses every discipline. But I suspect the depression came first, and the creativity – art, writing, comedy, dance, acting, better mousetraps – is one way the depressed mind works out its own solution. I’ve often found that engaging in creative work is much better than meds for a mild dose of the crap.

Your mileage may vary, but I found this interesting and plan to read up on it more. Here are a few books that came up as I wrote this post. Caveat – I haven’t read any of them, so I can’t recommend or un-recommend them. They merely caught my eye:

  • The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer’s Block, and the Creative Brain by Alice W. Flaherty. Flaherty uses her experience with both hypergraphia (compulsive writing) and depression to explore the neurological and psychological mechanisms behind creativity and mental illness.
  • Creativity and Madness: New Findings and Old Stereotypes edited by Barry Panter. This collection of essays examine the link between mental illness and creative expression, drawing from psychology and psychiatry.
  • Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy by Eric G. Wilson. Wilson argues against the modern obsession with “being happy”, saying that sadness and melancholy are vital to creativity and deep thinking.
  • Creativity and Mental Illness by James C. Kaufman. Kaufman analyzes research on the correlation between creativity and various mental illnesses, including depression.
  • Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Scott Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire. Kaufman and Gregoire use research in psychology and neuroscience to examine how positive personality traits like openness, sensitivity, and emotional intensity are key to creativity, while also being linked to depression.

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