Does Alcohol Boost Creativity? |
The intersection of alcohol and creativity is often misunderstood.
Research demonstrates that alcohol affects some types of creativity, but not all.
The amount of alcohol consumed is often a determining factor.
Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edgar Allen Poe, Dylan Thomas, Jackson Pollock, Vincent van Gogh, Billy Holiday, and Paul Gauguin are all renowned as creative artists—every one revered as an imaginative innovator in their respective field.
Yet each was a heavy drinker or severe alcoholic. So too, did they unwittingly perpetuate a continuing piece of folklore—that is, that our personal creativity is stimulated or positively influenced by the consumption of alcohol.
Is there any truth to that belief? Yes, as it turns out—but there's a few contradictions as well. Let’s take a look.
What the Research Says About Alcohol and Creativity
Current figures indicate that, globally, approximately 43 percent of all adults (meaning age 15 or older) drink alcohol. That equates to about 2.3-2.4 billion people around the world. On average, women who drink have about 1-2 drinks per sitting, while men average approximately 2-3 drinks.
For the most part, moderate consumption of alcohol is an accepted part of many cultures. On the other hand, alcoholism and binge drinking (usually 4 drinks for women or 5 drinks for men in a sitting) are generally seen as cause for alarm, since either may result in several illegal or dangerous behaviors.
Many well-known artists, writers, and poets were heavy drinkers and, over time, people assumed that alcohol fueled their creativity ("They’re........