By Shelley H. Carson, Ph.D.
Since the time of Aristotle, creativity in the arts has been linked to melancholia...but depression itself doesn't necessarily enhance creativity. Quite the opposite: most poets, artists, and composers have reported over the years that they are decidedly unable to work during episodes of severe depression. In fact, many have found their inability to create while depressed to be an impetus for ending it all. Virginia Woolf, for example...
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Related: Rethinking Creativity and Depression
http://depressionandcreativity.org/139/rethinking-creativity-and-depression/