# Creativity and mental illness - do you have to be mad to be creative?

- Institution: Gresham College
- Speaker: Dr Raj Persaud
- Year: 2006
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Medicine and health, Psychology and the brain
- Source: [Gresham College](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/creativity-and-mental-illness-do-you-have-be-mad-be-creative)
- Licence: [Educational use (Gresham College's terms)](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Using Robert Schumann as an example - a composer thought by some authorities to have suffered from bipolar disorder or manic-depression - why psychological dysfunction appears to so frequently accompany extreme ability, particularly in the arts is explored. Can a biographical and psychological analysis of great artists provide clues as to the genesis of genius?

## Lectures

1. [Creativity and mental illness - do you have to be mad to be creative?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/creativity-and-mental-illness-do-you-have-be-mad-be-creative/b62e950bb15f) (YouTube)