There’s a romantic myth that drinking alcohol makes us more creative. The truth is a little more complicated.
Research demonstrates that alcohol affects some types of creativity, but not all.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.Current figures indicate that, globally, approximately 43 percent of all adults 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, and binge drinking 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 . Add the romanticization of the “tortured artist” to the image of the suffering, intoxicated genius and the overwhelming perception was that inebriation led to creative brilliance. Consequently, this “alcohol=creativity” myth has survived over the centuries because it is quixotic, has been embraced by several creative and influential individuals, and does have one real effect that continues to sustain the legend: It lowers inhibitions. But alcohol’s overall effect on our creative inclinations is, quite often, a “mixed bag.” In 2012, researchers Jarosz, Colflesh and Wiley conducted a study testing whether moderate alcohol intoxication had an effect on creative problem solving. They administered the Remote Associates Test to 40 social drinkers. The RAT has been used by psychologists for many years to assess various cognitive abilities linked to creativity. The test consists of 30 to 40 questions, each of which presents three cue words , but are linked by a fourth word, which is the correct answer. Here's an example:The results indicated that participants who were moderately intoxicated solved more problems, solved them faster, and reported more “insight-based” solutions. The researchers indicated that moderate alcohol consumption seemed to reduce attentional control, which, paradoxically, helped participants access more remote associations—those useful for certain types of creativity . Another study in 2017 examined the effects of mild intoxication on executive control tasks and creative tasks . The researchers cited three key findings, including:Mild amounts of alcohol improved insight-based creativity .It’s important to note that the effects were observed at very low levels of intoxication and the benefits were task-specific . It's possible that higher doses of alcohol may impact later stages of the creative process. A more recent study analyzed the effects of varied alcohol doses on a sample of 125 individuals relative to their creativity and cognitive control. The findings indicated that higher alcohol levels significantly impaired verbal fluency.At the same time, results showed no significant effect on either divergent or convergent thinking . In addition, cognitive control was shown to decline with higher doses of alcohol. Interestingly, this research challenges earlier studies, suggesting that alcohol’s creativity benefits are often inconsistent or minimal.Additional research on the link between creativity and alcohol seems to be warranted. Nevertheless, there are several immediate implications to consider concerning this relationship.. Conversely, while alcohol reduces inhibitions, sustained creative work requires a state of mental clarity. Low doses of alcohol seem to help in the generation of ideas—but at the same time, it impairs one’s ability to shape and complete those thoughts. Higher doses of alcohol impair fluency and memory. Those effects are likely due to reduced cognitive functioning. While mild amounts of alcohol may improve certain creative problem-solving tasks , it did not improve innovation or originality in the studies above.Bottom line: Alcohol does not seem to boost overall creativity specifically. Its influence may be more determined by the intersection of personal regulation and the quest for long-term imaginative thinking.Uncorking the muse: Alcohol intoxication facilitates creative problem solvingCreativity on tap? Effects of alcohol intoxication on creative cognitionInvestigating dose effects of alcohol on cognitive control and creative cognition
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