There's been an overwhelming feeling in the artistic community for centuries that "madness" or what we now call mental illness plays a pivotal role in the lives of creative individuals.
Drawing from the latest studies on this question from the US, UK, India and Denmark as well as anecdotal evidence and famous artistic quotes I will attempt to bring us closer to understanding what the creative experience means inside and outside of mental troubles.
introductory statement
section 1 -- known science on the subject
section 2 --- various theories on the subject
section 3 -- my thoughts on the subject
closing comments