Cannabis & Creativity: Unravelling the Connection
Cannabis is a plant with many uses and potentials, and while it is often used as a simple tool for relaxation and mindfulness, it can also enhance your creativity. Far from the stereotypical image of the ‘lazy stoner’, many successful artists and musicians have used cannabis to open their minds to new possibilities, leading to innovations in the worlds of art, music, literature and more.
Navigating the waters of cannabis & creativity
Before we dive into the ways in which cannabis can unlock enhanced creativity, it is crucial to note that the amount you consume and the setting in which you do so will have a profound impact on the effects.
It’s also important to understand that the studies conducted so far are extremely limited and are often done by those with little knowledge of the differing effects of various strains. If you’re inspired to incorporate cannabis into your creative process after reading this article, play around with dosages, strains, settings and more to find the best combination for your needs.
“It really puzzles me to see marijuana connected with narcotics, dope, and all of that stuff. It is a thousand times better than whiskey. It is an assistant and a friend.”
- Louis Armstrong, Musician
Image courtesy of @cannaxes.
Cannabis can help you forge uniquely creative connections
One of the key affects of cannabis is the cerebral high that encourages what many call ‘divergent thinking’, a thought process that generates creative ideas by exploring a multitude of possible solutions. Put more simply, cannabis can help you think outside the box, forming connections that you may have missed and combining ideas in new and unique ways.
This enhanced ability to think creatively isn’t only good for artistic endeavours – entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs have credited cannabis for helping them drive the innovations that have defined their legacies.
“A marijuana high can enhance core human mental abilities.”
- Sebastian Marincolo, Author
Cannabis can give you a fresh perspective
The same effects that allow for divergent thinking may also help you in looking at something from a new perspective. Whether it’s an article that just isn’t coming together, a painting that’s not snapping into place or a song that seems to be missing a pivotal piece, lighting up might help you approach your project from a new angle, finding an imaginative solution that ties everything together.
“Marijuana is a useful catalyst for specific optical and aural aesthetic perceptions. I apprehended the structure of certain pieces of jazz and classical music in a new manner under the influence of marijuana, and these apprehensions have remained valid in years of normal consciousness.”
- Allen Ginsberg, Poet
Cannabis can help you relax
When you’re trying to be creative, one of the worst things you can do is force it. Creativity comes from an (almost) altered state of being of its own, where your mind is free to roam and form connections as it will. If you’re stressing about a deadline for a creative work, or if you just don’t feel in the right mood to let your creative juices flow, consuming cannabis can be the shift you need to get into the right headspace.
"[Cannabis] helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity, and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world."
- Carl Sagan, Astronomer
Cannabis can help you focus
If your thoughts are scattered, hindering your ability to focus on what you’re doing, cannabis can help you hone in on your project, pushing unwanted thoughts away as you get lost in your creativity. For those who have trouble sticking to something for extended periods of time, cannabis may be the secret ingredient to keeping you calm, focused and absorbed in your work.
“As an artist, there’s a sweet jump-starting quality for me. So if ever I need some clarity, I smoke a joint.”
- Lady Gaga, musician
Are you ready to unlock your creativity with cannabis?
Take me to my dispensary.