A Study on Neurotic Distortions in Creative Artists

Abstract

Research is replete with respect to artistic creativity and psychopathology particularly neurotic distortions. Freud (1948), for example held the view that creativity is index of sublimation of traumatic experiences in childhood, similarly Lawrence Kubie (1958) demonstrated that there have been indications of neurotic distortions in creative artists. From this point of view, a part of this investigation was carried out on a group of male and female creative artists including classical dancers, drama artists, musicians (vocal as well as instrumental artists), and visual artists like painters and photographers. They were further divided as high and low artistic creatives on the basis of Barron Welsh Arts Scale (BWAS) score by Barron and welsh (1952). With some criteria of inclusion and exclusion, these subjects were administered Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) by Crown and Crisp (1966). The results demonstrate a difference between males and females creatives on depressive trait,while there is a difference between high creatives and low creatives on the hysteria trait. The findings are discussed in the light of other studies.