Whether such pictures are interesting or not has no particular relevance to the pursuit at hand.
Any of you use drugs to increase creativity?
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Whether such pictures are interesting or not has no particular relevance to the pursuit at hand.
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- RauschenOderKorn
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I do all my photography sober. though I know a lot of photographers who always consider alcohol part of the fun. However I do find a boost in creativity when playing music. I sometimes take a small amount of cannabis edible or even a very small piece of magic mushroom when sitting down to play my guitar. It definitely helps but both have consequences I don't like.
Doc Ellis pitched a no hitter on LSD. No lack of concentration there. Some people do well operating in two worlds simultaneously. Some don't. It can be hard in general being creative and technicaly proficent at the same time no mater how you approach it.the ground glass doesn't lie- what you see is what you get.
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Then why state "really interesting images"?
Our own individual abilities to focus or concentrate, while helpful in managing the mechanics of the camera, can take you right out of your game by rigidly controlling perceptions and thought processes. Mind altering substances or events can open things back up.
Using mind altering drugs to change perception is a dangerous game to play. Proceed at your own peril. Please stay off the road while I'm driving.
Believing ones perception is reality is equally dangerous. 
The teachers at Zen monasteries saw that acid helped students see the value and possibilities of Zen studies/medatation, but was of no value after that in progressing further in their studies and meditation.* Since part of Zen is changing ones perception of the the world/reality, it makes sense.
*from reading, How the Swan Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America by Rick Fields
The teachers at Zen monasteries saw that acid helped students see the value and possibilities of Zen studies/medatation, but was of no value after that in progressing further in their studies and meditation.* Since part of Zen is changing ones perception of the the world/reality, it makes sense.
*from reading, How the Swan Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America by Rick Fields
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My drug of choice is film.
That too but I do have other cameras.
Not very imaginative of you!
Excellent advice. In school, I tried various things, some of which I liked more than others. My smoker friends were annoyed when I just quit smoking cold turkey. As for the others, I got to enjoy marijuana a bit too much, and again, quit one day without a second thought. Alcohol I kept drinking until fairly recently when again I just decided to stop one day. I didn’t find that any of these substances, or any others that shall go unnamed, improved my creativity (or attractiveness, keep reading). In fact marijuana was having negative effects on my short term memory. I remember having a conversation with a pretty girl at a party, and continually forgetting what we were talking about... needless to say, that was the end of that.
On the whole I reject the idea that any of this was more than partying, at least for me.
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so what is the pursuit at hand ?
Once again jnantz, it is self explanatory!
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Not really, the pursuit at hand is to get wasted or taking "really interesting" photographs ?
or is the point to get wasted and take "defective" photographs and have the story of being wasted be important?
I am not going to bother engaging in hopeless debates with those who cannot think for themselves!
I'm a lifelong (68 plus years) manic depressive (i. e., bipolar disorder), so I've never had to take drugs since creativity comes naturally to a great many people who are bipolar, myself included, thankfully.
However, that disease can be awful to live with, the depression part, but the mania more than balances it out for me. Unfortunately for me, it got so bad I HAD to get treatment. I found a wonderful psychiatrist that found the right combination of drugs for my depression and manic mood swings in 2002/3. I'm taking Zoloft for depression, and I haven't been depressed in 16 years now. I'm also taking Trileptal and Geodon for my manic mood swings.I still get manic, though... mostly the good type, thank God.
I started in photography on Nov. 4th, 1974, and I've mostly stuck with it over the years, several times quitting cold turkey for a year or two. But I always came back to it. You can see the manic in me by my photographic history. I started with Pentax, an ES II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Takumar. But I then switched to Leica R cameras/lenses with the purchase of two SL 2 bodies and 6 assorted Leitz lenses. I wanted more variety in lenses, though, so I switched to a vast Canon FD system for a couple or 3 years. However, the Leica mystique was strong, so I converted back to Leica with 2 Leica R3 bodies and I think 7 lenses. I stayed with Leica until 1977, when I switched yet again, this time to Nikon. I've been with Nikon ever since. Now I have more cameras and lenses than I'll ever use, so I'll be selling off some of it here once I recover from knee replacement surgery in early October.
However, that disease can be awful to live with, the depression part, but the mania more than balances it out for me. Unfortunately for me, it got so bad I HAD to get treatment. I found a wonderful psychiatrist that found the right combination of drugs for my depression and manic mood swings in 2002/3. I'm taking Zoloft for depression, and I haven't been depressed in 16 years now. I'm also taking Trileptal and Geodon for my manic mood swings.I still get manic, though... mostly the good type, thank God.
I started in photography on Nov. 4th, 1974, and I've mostly stuck with it over the years, several times quitting cold turkey for a year or two. But I always came back to it. You can see the manic in me by my photographic history. I started with Pentax, an ES II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Takumar. But I then switched to Leica R cameras/lenses with the purchase of two SL 2 bodies and 6 assorted Leitz lenses. I wanted more variety in lenses, though, so I switched to a vast Canon FD system for a couple or 3 years. However, the Leica mystique was strong, so I converted back to Leica with 2 Leica R3 bodies and I think 7 lenses. I stayed with Leica until 1977, when I switched yet again, this time to Nikon. I've been with Nikon ever since. Now I have more cameras and lenses than I'll ever use, so I'll be selling off some of it here once I recover from knee replacement surgery in early October.
Seems to me that the very notion of "creativity" is absurd. Did Picasso possess creativity? Hitler?
Does using a "sleep apnea" machine count? It seems to me like it does. First night I used mine, I got the best night's sleep in years. Oh, regarding the above list, Number 6 should be "don't take a diuretic at bed-time". My doctor came up with that one so I consider it "Doctor Recommended" as well as "common sense"...........Regards!
Et tu Sirius?.........Regards!
In college, I found caffeine and nicotine excellent for helping me to study art history, physics, chemistry, electric circuits, philosophy, mathematics, and pretty much anything else that involved reading or memorization. Cannabis helped with my art and design classes, allowing me to come up with new ideas that I wouldn't have otherwise. It also helped with physics, chemistry, electronics, history, and philosophy for conceptualization and incorporating small ideas into the big picture. It was terrible for math and memorization, and made reading more enjoyable, but less effective. Caffeine and nicotine we're good for fill in the blank and multiple choice tests, and cannabis for essay tests. LSD, mushrooms, and peyote are good for changing your perspective on life, but bad for getting work done. Cocaine and hard stimulants are too addictive and dot do anything for me positively that caffeine can't do. Opitaes are virtually worthless for me. The only way I can tell they're working is if they make me itch. Alcohol just makes me tired and gives me a headache. Benzos provide minor help with social anxiety, but aren't highly effective.
That's my experience. Everyone's brain chemistry is different, and everyone reacts differently. If everyone reacted the same way as me, cannabis would be legal, alcohol wouldn't, and no one would be addicted to cocaine, meth, or opiates. It would be like Dramamine, which is a powerful psychotic, but so unpleasant that abuse is extremely rare. LSD, mushrooms, and peyote would be commonly prescribed drugs for depression and PTSD.
These days, I just do moderate caffeine, nicotine, and rarely a glass of alcohol. If cannabis were legal here, I might occasionally do that, but it's not, and not worth the risk.
Sure would, my wife uses one, she'd stop breathing for over a minute sometimes and get little REM sleep. Amazing what the brain can do if you look after it.
Andrew O'Neill
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A cup of tea and Bob's your uncle.
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