Are creative genius and madness linked? The dictionary states that "to create" means "to come into being, as something unique that does not evolve naturally or is not created by ordinary processes." In ancient times, creative inspiration was a divine attribute; even the Greeks believed that creativity was achieved through altered states of mind – “divine madness”. This is best illustrated in the Greek belief of the Muses. According to myth, Zeus, the supreme god and ruler of Olympus, fathered nine daughters with Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. Each of these nine girls ruled over an area of ​​creativity such as epic and sacred poetry, lyrics, history, dance, comedy, tragedy, music and astronomy. They were believed to provide spiritual inspiration to the human creator. Socrates, a Greek philosopher, said: "If a man arrives at the gate of poetry untouched by the madness of the muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sensible compositions will never reach the perfection, but will be completely eclipsed by poetry. the inspired fool. Insanity has also been described as unbridled excitement or enthusiasm or being reckless and stupid. Modern researchers on the subject would attribute these qualities to a mental disorder called manic depression. Most of us know what depression is, it is an overwhelming sadness accompanied by feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, hopelessness for a prolonged period of time. People with depression also experience insomnia, fatigue, loss of interest or pleasure in things they previously enjoyed, weight changes, irritability, restlessness, and even suicidal thoughts. . But what exactly is manic depression? According to Dr. Dayal Mirchandani, author of Highs and Lows of Bipo...... middle of article......Morgan, Nichole. “Through the Looking Glass: An Exploration of Mild Depression as a Motivator for Creative Writers.” Thesis abstracts International Section A: Human and social sciences 65 (2005). PsychINFO. Internet. February 25, 2011Runco, Mark A. “Suicide and creativity: the case of Sylvia Plath”. Studies in Death 22.7 (1998): 637-54. Print.Silvia, Paul J. "A Dimensional Analysis of Creativity and Mental Illness: Do Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Predict Creative Cognition, Creative Achievements, and Creative Self-Concepts?" » Psychology of aesthetics, creativity and the arts 4 (2010): 2-10. PsychINFO. Internet. February 25, 2011. Thomas, Katherine M. and Marshall Duke. “Depressed Writing: Cognitive Distortions in the Works of Depressed and Nondepressed Poets and Writers.” Psychology of aesthetics, creativity and the arts 1.4 (2007): 204-18. Print.