Project Research

During my research, I decided to look into the approach of expressionism amongst other artist’s, and came across the discussion of the potential relationship with manic-depressive illness/rate of depression in eminent writers and artists. The question reviewed is; does the extended periods of melancholia broken by episodes of extreme mania lead to a different insight, compassion, and expression.

The book states even during normal states many individuals will experience striking fluctuations in the intensity of their perceptions and feelings.

This enables me to consider a possible makeup, how could I represent the intensity of perceptions and feelings?

The book gives me another insight to the personality and behaviours of one that is considered to have a psychological disorder, and explains their 'intense' perception and feelings compared to someone without a psycholgical disorder. The word 'intense' used towards their perceptions and feelings helps me to understand their world being on a different level to those considered to be normal.

“from virtually all perspectives-early Greek philosopher to twentieth-century specialist-there is agreement that artistic creativity and inspiration involve, indeed require, a dipping into pre-rational or irrational sources while maintaining ongoing contact with reality and “life at the surface”

This chapter continues to discuss the variation between individuals with mental illness, and their own tolerance to extremes of emotions and their terms with experiencing "darker forces". Those with these mental illnesses are described to have access to these “world [s] beyond”. The characteristics of someone living with a mental illness are thought to be a contribute to creative thought as well, these characteristics being described as:

Restlessness
Ebullience
Expansiveness
Irritability
Grandiosity
Quickened and more finely tuned senses
Intensity of emotional experiences
Diversity of thought and rapidity of associational processes.

It is thought that the hypomania cognitive aspects might benefit imaginative thought.

two aspects of hypomanic and creative thought are: fluency, rapidity, and flexibility and secondly- the ability to combine ideas or categories of thought in order to form new and original connections.

the rapid, fluid and divergent (and speed) thought processes may exert an effect on the qualitative aspects- the sheer volume of thought can produce unique ideas and associations.

Notes on the book 'Touched with Fire- written by Kay Jamison, who has a profound understanding of the relationship that exists between art and madness'

Even from historical times it is assumed that a creative individual will use pre-rational or irrational sources, this quotes describes that these individuals will still engage contact with "life at the surface", an interesting term to describe perceptions as layers that being, someone without any mental illnesses will only see "life at the surface". Can life be described by its depths as someone's psyche's (the totality of the mind both unconcious and conscious) delve deeper than others?

The thinking of the manic is flighty. He jumps by by-paths from one subject to another, and cannot adhere to anything. With this the ideas run along very easily and involuntarily, even so freely that it may be felt as unpleasant by the patient…Because of the more rapid flow of ideas, and especially because of the falling off of inhibitions, artistic activities are facililated even though something worth while is produced only in very mild cases and when the patient is otherwise talented in this direction. The heightened sensibilities naturally have the effect of furthering this”

Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler.

The chapter continues to describe the idea process of a manic patient. The research proposed shows manic patients, unlike normal individuals or schizophrenics, tend to exhibit pronounced combinatory thinking. characterised by the merging of perceptions, ideas, or images in an incongruous fashion. Ideas formed in this way become "loosely strung together and extravagantly combined and elaborated". This research could well be reflected in one of my makeups to represent the thought processes of a manic. I like the idea of having merging perceptions in a incongruous style, this concept for a makeup could well be very interesting to view.

During a study by Dr Nancy Andreasen and Pauline Powers, comparing manics, schizophrenics, and writers they found that writers showed conceptual styles similar to that of a manic patient. The differece being was that the writers were able to carry out "controlled flights of fancy during the process of sorting, while the manics tend to sort many objects for bizarre or personalised reasons. This case is interesting, it has made me think about where the bizarre ideas come from and if life experiences affect this.

other studies have found that rhymes, punning, and sound associations increase during mania, and many patients start spontaneously start writing poetry (without any previous interest in either reading or writing poetry)

it is thought that the most creative periods occur when the manic is experiencing an elevated mood, non creative periods lead to a depressive state.

"to the extent that an artist survives, describes, and then transforms psychological pain into an experience with more universal meaning, his or her own journey becomes one that others can, thus better protected, take."

Broadening my research in this area is giving me a more detailed perception of what someone living with a psychological disorder may be going through mentally and Bioligically

Clip from: All in the mind. Wednesday 11 Nov 2009.

Description: Claudia Hammond hears about some surprising side effects of drugs used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia and why they particularly affect women.

Notes:

Anti psychotic drugs can cause side effects especially amongst women. Some of these side effects include: premature ageing, reduced libido, and fertility.

Doctor smith is a consultant psychiatrist at the institute of psychiatry in London. She discusses how some doctors are unaware of the side effects the drugs have on women such as their fertility and their menstrual function and sexual function.

She talks about how these psychotic drugs work- they block the chemical dopamine in the brain. This chemical is a reward chemical and helps you feel good and elevated. However if there is too much of it around your brain responds ugly to it, which can then cause you to become psychotic. Which will result in having delusions and hallucinations. How could I represent delusions and hallucinations in a makeup?

These delusions and hallucinations can be treated by anti-psychotic drugs, which work primarily against dopamine. Dopamine is the main factor that controls the hormone prolactin. If dopamine is affected then it will reduce its control on prolactin, which results in excessive production of prolactin, which results in a condition called hyperprolactinemia.

The drugs affect the ovulation of women, stopping their periods so women start to believe they are pregnant.

MedicineWise, N. (2012) Bipolar link to creativity and being intellectually gifted?. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp9afmFFBjU (Accessed: 17 April 2015)

An interview with a bipolar sufferer

Features
Moods sings from elated to the opposite locking themselves I their rooms- not participating in life
“Can you describe a high to me? “ “it’s not that I see the world differently the world actually changes” “things seem amazing and beautiful. I was untouchable unstoppable.
“How does your creativity express itself?” He enjoys writing, drawing, and acting –generally being creative

Is there a link between creativity and psychological disorders?

Thee are many examples in history of this (i.e. Beethoven)
School students who scored the highest grades were 4x more likely to develop bipolar as an adult (in the top 2-3%)
The more artist were more associated with high performance and bipolar disorder
Around 80% genetic

All in the Mind, [radio programme, online], Prod. credit n.k., Prod. company n.k., Prod. country n.k., 15:30 21/5/2014, BBC Radio 4, 30mins. http://bobnational.net/record/222517, (Accessed 24/04/2015)..

Jamison, K. R. and Jamison, K. R. (1996) Touched with Fire: Manic-depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. United Kingdom: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Furthering my research into the different aspects of a psychological disorder has enabled me to consider more ideas to reflect the difficult symptoms someone with the disorder has to live with.

Professional Makeup Project

Emma Freeman

Project research

Notes on the book 'Touched with Fire- written by Kay Jamison, who has a profound understanding of the relationship that exists between art and madness'