does ocd make you more creative?
- Thread starter meme
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bubblegumbg
Member
I'm not sure there is any connection. It may make them more determined (obsessed) with completing a creative project, or an individual's area of obsession may be a creative venue (music, painting, etc).
Musicocd
Well-known member
Personally I think there is a connection, and I'd love to read your work when you've finished!
I've played instruments all my life, I've always been able to naturally play anything I've picked up, even when I was a little kid. I've never had any real training, and I can't really read music. I think it's my ocd that has given me this gift.
It's my ocd that allows me to keep in perfect time with things, it provides a pulse in my head for me (so much that I have to walk in time with other people).
It also allows me to 'focus' (well get completely obsessed really) on one thing, so even though I can't read music I can sit there and pick out each individual note and learn a piece that way.
I get what are called 'musical hallucinations', (well it's similar to those, those...you might find this interesting: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010605/msgs/65468.html
But this allows me to compose with relative ease because I hear new compositions in my head then I just have to work them out (but they do generally come at inappropriate times)
It's also during playing music that I am more or less obsession free. I also suffer from intense violent images, which all but disappear when I play music (even if I do have to start the piece over and over again because of the ocd).
Hope that helps...if you need to ask anything else, feel free to!
I've played instruments all my life, I've always been able to naturally play anything I've picked up, even when I was a little kid. I've never had any real training, and I can't really read music. I think it's my ocd that has given me this gift.
It's my ocd that allows me to keep in perfect time with things, it provides a pulse in my head for me (so much that I have to walk in time with other people).
It also allows me to 'focus' (well get completely obsessed really) on one thing, so even though I can't read music I can sit there and pick out each individual note and learn a piece that way.
I get what are called 'musical hallucinations', (well it's similar to those, those...you might find this interesting: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010605/msgs/65468.html
But this allows me to compose with relative ease because I hear new compositions in my head then I just have to work them out (but they do generally come at inappropriate times)
It's also during playing music that I am more or less obsession free. I also suffer from intense violent images, which all but disappear when I play music (even if I do have to start the piece over and over again because of the ocd).
Hope that helps...if you need to ask anything else, feel free to!
rado31
Well-known member
I had those musical things from my childhood till the early adolescency. Now, very rarely 
I love that thang, it is totally entertaining. Especially good when it comes in the night time, coz mind seemes completely relaxed and dedicated to it so as a result come a complete composition.
When it is daytime (though i have some kind of musical education), i m not able to put that on the paper , or to reproduce it on any musical instrument precisely (I did record about 2 hours of it long ago, but it is pretty fragmented,and it is kind of approximated version of composition)
slighthly offtopic : I m very good in recognition melodies that i heard,i have pretty good memory for that-how about others? Can u easily recognize a melody by hearing only few tacts of its begining?
I love that thang, it is totally entertaining. Especially good when it comes in the night time, coz mind seemes completely relaxed and dedicated to it so as a result come a complete composition.
When it is daytime (though i have some kind of musical education), i m not able to put that on the paper , or to reproduce it on any musical instrument precisely (I did record about 2 hours of it long ago, but it is pretty fragmented,and it is kind of approximated version of composition)
slighthly offtopic : I m very good in recognition melodies that i heard,i have pretty good memory for that-how about others? Can u easily recognize a melody by hearing only few tacts of its begining?
MyWhimsicalAlter
Member
hi again
no, it doesn't.
no, it doesn't.
Skaterkid
Member
I think there might be some truth to that.
Im quite a talented musician myself. I think it gives you an edge cause people with ocd tend to dive into things more. And that can include just the process of listening to music, which benifits greatly if your a musician.
I once saw a list (on this very site perhaps?) of a list of famous people with ocd and a number of them were famous musicians.
Also it might just be because people with OCD experience so much pain that it fuels these really creative ideas.
Whatever it may be i definatly see a conection between the two.
Im quite a talented musician myself. I think it gives you an edge cause people with ocd tend to dive into things more. And that can include just the process of listening to music, which benifits greatly if your a musician.
I once saw a list (on this very site perhaps?) of a list of famous people with ocd and a number of them were famous musicians.
Also it might just be because people with OCD experience so much pain that it fuels these really creative ideas.
Whatever it may be i definatly see a conection between the two.
siren_0_0
Well-known member
Me too.Musicocd said:
And I definitely agree with what's been said so far.
Also wanna add that having OCD means you have to find pretty creative ways to deal with your obsessions, a lot of the compulsive acts done by ocd sufferers are very creative and artful in some ways. And there's a lot of pain and suffering involved in dealing with your obsession. You are terribly tortured by your ocd. And pain is a necessary ingredient for creativity, imo.
Heron
New member
Hey, first post on these forums.
meme, I think OCD can have certain creative aspects to it, and as people in this thread have said, it can help you with determination and the structure of things like music. I myself find that keeping a rhythm is easier when playing guitar or what have you, due to my mild obsessiveness with time structures; i.e., I don't like hearing any number of beats unless they end in a multiple of four
But the real source of my OCD-induced creativity is because I am basically a pure-obsessive, and when I have random involuntary thoughts I sometimes find they're pretty good ideas (though most of them bug me). Sometimes I'll get inspiration for a song, poem, or story either from the completely random things that pop into my head, or from the fact that this happens...the frustration I get from this kind of thing fuels some art, when channeled properly.
meme, I think OCD can have certain creative aspects to it, and as people in this thread have said, it can help you with determination and the structure of things like music. I myself find that keeping a rhythm is easier when playing guitar or what have you, due to my mild obsessiveness with time structures; i.e., I don't like hearing any number of beats unless they end in a multiple of four
But the real source of my OCD-induced creativity is because I am basically a pure-obsessive, and when I have random involuntary thoughts I sometimes find they're pretty good ideas (though most of them bug me). Sometimes I'll get inspiration for a song, poem, or story either from the completely random things that pop into my head, or from the fact that this happens...the frustration I get from this kind of thing fuels some art, when channeled properly.
rado31
Well-known member
sometimes, i see something and i trigger a loop. sometimes musical loop makes a vision or a picture in my mind. And now this name "Dr Bob" gives me a vision of Muppet's veterinerian hospital and the title jingle starts looping LOL
So Dr. Bob is suggestionin ADs/APs for that (acronym MH :roll: ).
So Dr. Bob is suggestionin ADs/APs for that (acronym MH :roll: ).
Tressa
New member
umm well i don't know about creative, but i defiantely have an easier time learning a new jump or spin (i'm a figure skater) than most of the other girls.
one of my friends is also a skater with OCD, and everything comes a lot easier to her too.
i don't know if that helps...but whatever
one of my friends is also a skater with OCD, and everything comes a lot easier to her too.
i don't know if that helps...but whatever
FeralMonkeyMagic
Member
Musicocd said:
HA! SO TRUE! ME TOO ME TOO! iw as in a client meeting the otehr day and a sweet heavy riff popped into my head.. i just had to tabb it on my piece of paper.. i pretended iw as taking notes... CRAZEEE... they thought i was paying strict attention.. i got the general gist.. but... u know.. i was tuned out mega.
indigo91
Member
not sure
I have been drawing and painting for years,It can take me 12 to 15 hours to draw and then paint a picture(depending on size) and I will start and generaly not put it down except,to eat,get a drink or things like that,till Im done. I dont think I was as intense abouting get it done like then when I was younger.But My ocd if I had it then was not near as bad,as now.
I have been drawing and painting for years,It can take me 12 to 15 hours to draw and then paint a picture(depending on size) and I will start and generaly not put it down except,to eat,get a drink or things like that,till Im done. I dont think I was as intense abouting get it done like then when I was younger.But My ocd if I had it then was not near as bad,as now.