Comments on: Readers letters: Cannabis, Caffeine and Creativity

By: Monique

Monique — Sun, 23 May 2010 13:12:44 +0000

I went “cold turkey” off caffeine a few months ago. I had pain in my legs, migraines and felt sick for about three days. It makes you realize that if you feel that bad going off something, how good can it be for you to be on it? I have a strong cup of tea in the morning, but maybe I should try to give that up too. There was a great piece in the NYTimes last month titled The Data-Driven Life. It’s about how new technologies help everyday people truly track health, work habits, etc. One of the first things mentioned in the article is how a software designer weaning himself from caffeine discovered that he wasn’t getting the boost in focused work he thought he was getting. Often our instincts about the benefits we think we get from substances, aren’t backed up by the data.

By: heidiwirz

heidiwirz — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:51:27 +0000

Great article! This is so true. While weed/beer can relax you, it doesn't make you a better artist. Relaxing yourself, and confidence (which I believe is directly tied to exercise ) is what makes all those creative juices flow. Thank you for addressing this!

By: tri5tan

tri5tan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:16:35 +0000

great article, havent smoked the erb in 7 years, dont miss it and i cant say it ever really made me any more creative

www.chewingbrokenglass.com

By: Jemma

Jemma — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:44:19 +0000

Yey! Me too! Try MGMT for jogging tunes and a positive mental attitude.
Thanks Paul.

By: Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:38:57 +0000

I'll be honest: I smoke cannabis. And I'm a writer. At first I did it because I liked how I saw the world under its influence, and I could write so fluidly. Now, after a couple years, it's become a habit, and it has proven to be a difficult habit to boot as I have tried before. And, the only time I write now is when I'm under the influence. I want to be able to reach that mindset when I'm perfectly sober. I know I can. This article helped a bunch!

By: MAXWELL 773MXVW

MAXWELL 773MXVW — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:02:31 +0000

I really enjoyed the article also.

Drinking lots of water is the key to overcoming withdrawal symptoms of all sorts. I, too, used to smoke cigarettes. I quit by staying hydrated and jogging with my ipod. Gnarls Barkley has some good running tunes.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:49:11 +0000

Really good article. I use to smoke cigarettes, and when I stopped I realized just how much of a role they played in my creative process. After over six months I still crave one just before I start artwork, or when I need a 5 minute break. I had art blocks all of the time (and still do)!! On a stop-smoking forum site, I explained my dilemma, and a fellow forum member came back with the answer that her dad was an artist and he smoked for the same reasons that I still crave a cigarette. He died of lung cancer in his 50s.

Exercise often works for me now. I still get artist's blocks though, but I sometimes just have to break through it with some inspiring music.