Far Out Dude

Do drugs really stimulate creativity? Kelly Stafford's article "Use and Abuse: Do Drugs Really Stimulate Creativity" explores the correlation between artists and their creativity. She claims that many artists like Ozzy Osborne credit their creativity to drugs. Like Ozzy, The Rolling Stones were using marijuana, LSD, cocaine, acid, and heroin and it became a part of the rock image. Drugs were influential and prominent in the Stones lyrics such as Sister Morphine, Mothers Little Helper, and Dead Flowers where the lyrics say “ I’ll be in my basement with my needle and spoon.” The influence of drugs are apparent in the sounds and tones of the music. The influence of drugs has a strong connection to the experimental and psychedelic music produced out of the sixties. Drugs were glamorized and spread through the music and continued to become more readily and available and popular. I agree that drugs can affect the creative process by allowing people to express themselves, but I don't believe that it is the main source of an artists creativity.