What is it with artists and dope? Some of the greatest musicians, writers and visual performers of the last century or more have been addicted to some form of illicit drug or alcohol. Yet they somehow manage to produce the best films, albums and books for their fans' entertainment. And it's all at the cost of their own health. But why?
In Stephen King's "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft," he told of the days when he wrote smash-hit novels and soon-to-be films like, "The Shining" (1975), "Cujo" (1981), "Misery" (late 1985 to early 1986) and "The Tommyknockers" (mid-1986). King writes how his wife organized an intervention and it was then that his demons were revealed on an unforgiving floor:
"Tabby began by dumping a trash bag full of stuff from my office on the rug: beer cans, cigarette butts, cocaine in gram bottles and cocaine in plastic baggies, coke spoons caked with snot and blood, Valium, Xanax, bottles of Robitussin cough syrup and Nyquil cold medicine, even bottles of mouthwash."
Reading this passage and considering how well written those novels were and how great the movies were, no one would suspect King was suffering from substance abuse. And yet he was. King mentioned also that his silence concerning his addiction "began to scream for help in the only way it knew how, through [his] fiction and through [his] monsters."
Is there something about drugs and alcohol that allows an artist to cut all inhibitions and unleash the best of themselves through creative work? Or perhaps unleash the worst of themselves through creative work and it be perceived by others as the best? If these artists, like Stephen King, hadn't suffered from substance abuse, would "Cujo" still be rabid or would Annie Wilkes still be Paul Sheldon's number one fan? Would Jack Nicholson have still been dead in the snow and would his son still be Shining?
From my own personal experience, I've written some of my best poetry while I was inebriated. Perhaps it allowed me to clear away the rest of life's worries and focus on the one thing I wanted at that moment: to purely express myself. This is by no means a way of encouraging artists to drink alcohol or use illicit drugs. By all means, take care of yourselves, friends. This is merely a speculation as to the strange connection between substance abuse and art.
How is it that singers like Kurt Cobain can create great hits like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Lithium" with "Nirvana," yet still feel the need to do heroin? Why is it that Billie Holiday sang about "Strange Fruit" in the midst of 1939, well before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and still used heroin and drank alcohol? Were they somehow screaming for help through their music? Some could speculate that it's environmental. Going from a rough upbringing to fame and fortune can quickly change anyone's habits. Unfortunately, some of these great people lost their lives, but what they left behind is immortal, powerful and everlasting.
What does this say about all writers, visual performers, visual artists and musicians? That we need alcohol and drugs to be one of the greats? Not necessarily. However, it is strange that some of the best artists of our time were busy taking shots or grabbing a fix while filling our heads with memorable lyrics, passages, images and lines. I would've liked to tell Kurt Cobain that he opened my mind to rock music as a child or that Billie Holiday was loved deeply by me and my mother. Luckily, I can still tell Stephen King that he is definitely my favorite author, and that the next time I decide to drink responsibly at home, I'll have a pen and paper handy.
