Migraine and creativity
If you’ve read the article on migraine symptoms here, you’ve read that sometimes migraine seems to enhance creativity. Today I got a letter from Germany, from Dr Klaus Podoll at the University Clinic Aachen, who is trying to pull together information about the migraine creativity connection. He asked if I myself have experienced this, and as a matter of fact I have. Here’s my letter in response to Dr Podoll:
Dear Dr Klaus Podoll:
Thank you for your letter, which I received today. You are welcome to use the quote from my website. Thanks for your interest in this topic!
As a matter of fact, I have had personal experience with migraine and creativity. As I’m sure you realize, this is a very subjective thing, and I’m a long way from understanding exactly how this works in my case. I do know that my mind tends to work quite differently, depending on whether I’m migraine free or depending on the type of headache I have. This effect seems to be something apart from the effect of medications.
It does seem that, with certain types of headaches, my mind is more liable to take those “creative leaps”. I remember when I was younger actually writing music when I had migraine symptoms. At times it’s almost as if some barrier falls and things in my brain are connected in a different way.
The symptoms are not all positive. There are times when migraine symptoms are flaring up when I have difficulty bringing the right word to my mind, or trouble with my speech. I’ve heard of others with a similar experience. With some types of headache my brain is so foggy that I have trouble even making simple decisions, and if I’m able to work, I prefer it to be something predictable.
I hope these few thoughts are a help. I hope your collection of information is helpful as we look for solutions for other migraineurs. Thanks again for taking the time to write!
All the best,
James Cottrill
www.relieve-migraine-headache.com
To see the site Dr Podoll was referring to, see the Migraine Art page.
3 September 2010 @ 4:07 am
This is very interesting! I hope there is more research done into this… I believe this happened to me today. Hence, googling ‘migraine’ and ‘creativity’ and coming across your page 🙂
22 November 2010 @ 11:50 am
this art is really good. i was quite surprise and was just checking around re my own 1-1/2 week long headache. I am an artist also and plan to submit my own interpretation after seeing these!
TigerLily Cross
21 January 2012 @ 7:14 pm
i have been suffering from a ridiculous headache since christmas 2011. i’m a writer who, for a while, has struggled with my stories. When the pain was bad enough to send me to the emergency room, i was able to develop a plot for a story. then another, then i got to writing one – and it’s going well – and it doesn’t stop, nor does the pain.
i’d love to figure out a way to stop the pain and keep this creativity flowing. it helps me at work too – i come up with very VERY creative solutions to problems that stump everyone else.