How Cannabis Can Enhance and Inspire the Creative Process

Cannabis has a love affair with creativity. The connection is countless and is continuously used for that fact by countless individuals for various creative pursuits. Cannabis has been and is being, used across the globe to enhance creativity. Many of societies favorite artists, from musicians to writers and painters, have used cannabis while composing their art. There is proof that the, arguably most influential actor, poet, and playwright, William Shakespeare, indulged in cannabis too. Alongside Mr. Shakespeare, there are also creative influencers such as Rihanna, Pablo Picasso Robert Downey Jr, Bob Marley, Madonna, Johnny Depp, Vincent Gordon, Pierre Schmidt, Aaron Benjamin Sorkin, and the list could go on for miles. Let’s look at who cannabis can be used to boost your creative processes, how it can be used in art therapy as well as a growing phenomenon; puff and paint classes.

How Cannabis Can Boost Your Creativity

Cannabis alters perceptions and thought processes. It allows its’ consumers to look at their task at hand with a more open-mindedness, allowing creativity to flow. Cannabis does not operate as a source of creativity but rather as an influencer over the mental processes which lead to the production of art. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of the most common cannabinoids in cannabis, causes the brain to have longer and uninterrupted thought patterns. It does this by shortening the time between breaks of neuron transmissions. THC keeps the flow of neuron transmissions constant which leads to a faster and consecutive train of thought. This faster and consecutive train of thought allows the creation of more unusual ideas and concepts. THC also leads to increased levels of imagination and dopamine (the bliss chemical).  Cannabis may even allow its’ consumers to appreciate things that would have been dismissed without knowing and may even. Dr. Schafer and team also suggest that cannabis produces psychotomimetic symptoms which leads to the connection of unrelated concepts and ideas. However, cannabis and its’ influence on creativity are still to be researched further, as with many other aspects concerning cannabis. 

Cannabis and Art Therapy

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy which involves the encouragement of self-expression through painting, drawing or modeling and is uses as a remedial activity. Art therapy can bring about new ways of thinking, expressing emotions, solving disagreements and if done regularly, an improved lifestyle. Many people struggle to be creative because they focus too much on making a good, or perfect art piece but with cannabis, that burden goes out the window. Cannabis in art therapy allows the creator to be untroubled by mistakes and to surrender expectations. In exchange for surrendering your expectations in art therapy, thanks to cannabis, you can experience a free-flow of feelings and ideas. Cannabis has the capacity to encourage self-expression and introspection, which is what therapists want from individuals taking part in art therapy. Both art and cannabis have the power to heal, put stress and anxiety at bay as well as strengthening ones’ connection to their self. Despite this strong connection, it remains challenging for therapists to include cannabis in art-therapy with patients due to federal law. 

Puff and Paint classes

Puff and paint classes are all about being part of a relaxed and comfortable community in an intimate and inspiring environment with an open-minded atmosphere. Theses class aren’t about painting the perfect picture but rather allowing yourself to freely create your own original painting, similarly to the art-therapy and cannabis experience. Puff Pass and Paint have many classes available through-out America. They supply all the art materials and permit bringing you own cannabis in whatever form you choose, in fact, they encourage it. Similar principles apply to smaller puff and paint classes. 

Cannabis can be combined with any element of creativity. I, for one, would be the first to sign up for pot and pottery classes. Cannabis and creativity sound amazing but there is a variable that needs to be considered: the strain you consume for creativity boots. Different strains have different effects on different people. An individual looking to consume cannabis for creativity needs to experiment with strains and quantity. Cannabis can affect everyone differently which is why it is important to find the strain, method of consumption and quantity of cannabis consumed which gives you your optimal zone of creativity. Most cannabis strains recommend for boosting creativity steam from the Sativa family. This is because you want to avoid becoming couch locked after consuming the wrong strain for creativity. Below are some strains that are regularly suggested for enhancing your creativity. Starting your experimentation with these would be wise if you want to use cannabis specifically for creativity.

Recommended Strains for Boosting the Creative Process:

• Kali Mist
• Blue Dream
• Jack Herer
• Purple Haze
• Sour Diesel
• Durban Poison or Tangie
• Berry White
• Jillybean
• Choco Candy
• Amnesia Haze

Cannabis is a stimulant that boosts outputs, regardless of the nature of the output. Meaning, if you consume cannabis, it will boost you in your efforts to paint, write, build, mind-map ideas and even in business-related tasks. Cannabis will always have a place in creative culture, especially now that artists are becoming more open about their cannabis consumption. Grab your tools and toke up. Embrace the freedom of letting go and letting flow.