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A Stroke of Genius

 
 
Tezcatlipoca
16:01 / 05.07.04
Hokay, I spent a fair while deciding where to stick this thread, but since the discussion I'm after is largely from a medical perspective, here it is.

A stroke suffered by a Liverpudlian builder three years ago has resulted in a massive wave of artistic creativity.
Tommy McHugh, 54, had - prior to the incident - apparently doodled nothing more complex than a few tattoos on his arms, yet after suffering a stroke he now pours out poetry, prose, and paintings with no sign of slowing down.

Whilst a paper about Tommy McHugh is due to be published later this year by Dr Mark Lythgoe, psychologists Tom Pollak, Michelle de Haan and artist Marion Kalmus, I'm interested in barbeloid opinions on the matter whilst we wait for the research to be made available.

Fairly comprehensive information can be found here and here.
 
 
Jack Denfeld
03:57 / 06.07.04
Maybe his near death experience made him think there were things he had neglected prior to his stroke. And maybe art was one of those things he felt he neglected.
 
 
Tezcatlipoca
07:27 / 06.07.04
Actually, I think it's considerably more compulsive than that. In common with stroke victims, Mr McHugh's personality has altered, and he now talks about his art not so much as something he has discovered as something he feels compelled to produce.
That said, it seems that a sudden productivity in stroke victims is rare, with there being only two other known cases where victims experienced a sudden wave of creative energy, and it is that aspect, with particular emphasis on what this and cases like it may do to further our understanding of human personality, that I'm interested in.
 
 
Lionheart
09:13 / 06.07.04
What is painting but a few strokes of a brush?

*rimshot*

Now while this compulsiveness is unusual, is the whole concept of stroke victims painting that uncommon as well?

Also, could it be that the stroke led to a form of schizophrenia? Because, and I'm not sure if I'm right on this point but, I heard that schizophrenics have a high rate of creative artistic output.

Ofcourse I'm basing all this on Wesley Willis.
 
 
Cheap. Easy. Cruel.
17:40 / 06.07.04
I have read of this phenomenon before. The stroke kills, or greatly impairs a portion of the left brain. The right brain has to step in and make up for the lack on the left side, resulting in much greater artistic output. This is simply a case of redundancy in the body. One part quits working and another takes over. Since the other is not exactly the same, there are differences in the way it operates.
 
 
flufeemunk effluvia
01:30 / 09.07.04
Of course, I'm basing this all on Wesley Willis

ROCK OVER LONDON, ROCK ON CHICAGO, WHEATIES, THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS!

Seriously though, wasn't he "fighting off the demons" by making music? That's a bit more... hallucnitory that an OCD-like need to create.

I think its kind of cool though.
 
  
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