Is It Possible To Make Good Music Without Doing Drugs?
Jimi Hendrix. Jimmy Page. Jim Morrison. Ozzy Osbourne. What do these rock superstars have in common? The fact that they spent most of their musical careers blasted into outer space on drugs.
There must, then, be some special insight—some cosmic awareness inaccessible to the rest of us—that these visionaries attainedo n their trips and forays, right? Well, believe it or not, it’s not so simple.
What Are Drugs?
As my neighborhood D.A.R.E. officer used to say,“a drug is anything that changes the way your mind and body work.” By this definition, grapefruit could be a drug, but let’s ignore this and focus only on the agreed-upon ones, which include everything from coffee to crystal meth.
Mind-altering substances occur naturally throughout the biological world, and using them deliberately is as old as time itself.
According to most anthropologists, cultural rituals involving psychedelics and nervous-system enhancers have existed across all cultures since at least the time of man’s first incursions into tribal living. But what did these rituals bring that boring old reality couldn’t?
What Do Drugs Have To Do With Creativity?
Simply put, drugs put you in a different mental place. When you smoke, drink, snort, or shoot your drug of choice, you insantly feel different, and this allows you a brief glimpse beyond the mundanity of reality.
You may experience sensations or perceptions that can feel overpowering. You may find new insights, and these insights may create real neural pathways in your brain, resulting in enhanced creativity.
For some musicians, this convenience is too tempting to turn down. Some drugs—especially psychedelics—are especially good at producing creative and constructive experiences.
There’s a lot to explore here, but truth be told, all the research, experience, and knowledge on the subject can be watered down to one fact: drugs work, but there’s no free lunch.
All drugs have downsides, and the “come down” phase is usually an inversion of the come up. If you felt creative and energized, you’ll feel lazy and lethargic. If you felt happy and high, you’ll feel miserable and slow. Worse, most come with real, serious risks.
Are They Worth It?
Yes, drugs can make you feel more creative. But when you really look at it, they’re basically a lazy way of finding your energy. Sure, you can take a hero’s dose of mushrooms and come up with a bunch of new ideas, but you could also meet a new partner, meditate, or go on an excursion. Even suffering, painful as it is, can be one of the most inspirational experiences.
Whether you’d rather take the shortcut is up to you, but you should know what you’re getting yourself into. Drugs have caused a lot of harm to a lot of people.
Some people can take a few, enjoy the experience, and stop things there. Others never stop seeking further rewards until they end up in a heap. Sadly, the second group almost always seems convinced that they’re part of the first.
In conclusion, no, drugs are not necessary for creativity. Tons of creative people have made masterpieces with nothing other than a few natural emotions. Of those who have found success solely on the drug induced experiences they have had, very few would recommend that others repeat their behavior.
How you live your life is up to you. I won’t recommend that you do anything potentially harmful, but some people do just fine with the occasional trip or high. The important thing is to know yourself, and stay away from the really nasty stuff.
Source: I’ve done a lot of drugs.
And that’s it for today. If you liked this article and want to read more in the dark music, art, and literature world, keep browsing Metalblog.