Thanks for the tip Chewbacca, i'll look for that book, sounds interresting ! :D

IMO any "artist" who needs drugs for "inspiration" or any other BS excuse is 1)not a true artist or 2) too hung up on what other people think to be able to create without the influence of drugs. Case in point for that example was a lifetime friend I have who "can't draw unless he's drunk". BULLONEY. He can draw any time he wants to but can't allow himself the personal courage to create unless he is uninhibited...a place he can only reach with booze. He's a loser and so is anyone else who uses drugs as such an excuse.

I can draw but I have a deeper sense of perception when I go without sleep...no drugs needed. Doesn't mean I need to go without sleep to be able to draw well either lol.

I've done my share and variety of drugs in my lifetime (no straight herion or meth in any form) and johnny is right...people who say they can't quit just don't want to....if you think herion is an exception, even that can be gotten out of your system if you stay away from the sh*t.

Drugs used for recreational purposes? That's just another excuse...you can be yourself without them and still have the same fun.

Drugs for medicinal purposes? There are way too many out there for things people should be curing themselves of...they have become a crutch of a society that strives to beat its own mortality...it ain't gonna happen on the outside until it starts on the inside and even then, in the long you are going to die....may as well die healthy and with your brain intact than to spend your youth and middle age curing everything with a pill. (insert hurl here)

Get real and keep what you've been given to start with rather than lose your senses for a few minutes of fun or *cough*inspiration*cough*. We've all got a lot to offer the world and it starts with belief in yourself...go for it, you've got everything to gain. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Who wants to be like Richard Pryor when they get older, raise your hand and go do a lot of dope.
Stupid.

[ 07-15-2002, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: Moni ]

ill say it again. i dont think you can demerit artists or say they are not skilled or talented because they use drugs to alter their perceptions.

there are a million examples in all disciplines... dali, picasso, the beatles, velvet underground... my gosh, so many of them it would take days to name them all. and not only in this century, but from all times.

Exactly, Norom, I agree. However, it looks like we're all talking about different things here. Neb stated that if Picasso and Dali used drugs when they painted, they have no real talent. Moni states that making art shouldn't be an excuse to (ab)use drugs, as in : 'I can only make art when I'm high/drunk' etc. We are saying that a good artist who uses drugs is still a good artist.
Like I said, technical skill CAN be pinpointed, and it most certainly takes skill to make good art, regardless of the fact whether you take drugs or not. So if Dali was on opium when painting, that doesn't mean the opium was the artist! It may have inspired him, but HE was the one who made the painting... the talent was within him, not within the drugs. Considering how the societal perception of drugs has changed over the years, (remember, Heroin was a prescription drug only a century ago!) we shouldn't try to impose our current values on earlier artists by saying they sucked, and were only able to create by using drugs.

I never knew Picaso was a drug user. I thought his work SUCKED anyway. Rembrandt IMHO had real talent.

I knew the Beatles and Black Sabbath Both were bands whos members used drugs. You can look at either bands latter work and tell that the drugs were taking their toll. After said toll was taken both (very successful) bands broke up. The members really hated eachother.

Ive used my share of various drugs. About the only thing I never used was heroin. I swore that off from the very start. I still have a "spliff" once in a great while.

Heres a story for you. My oldest brother being one of the biggest influences on my life and how events impacted me.

He is ten years older than me. He started teaching me judo when I was 4. Then he sarted teaching me ju-jit-su when I was 5. At age 6 he began teaching me Shodokan karate. When I was 14 he took off for California and began taking Jeet Koon Do from one of the six masters in the world. He sat in on a class given by Danny Inasanto, who was Bruce Lee's best friend and protege'. Inasanto is the Grand Master of Jeet Koon Do. After a years worth of learning my brother came back to Texas to teach me at age 15.

Ive spent the majority of my life learning one martial art or another from my brother and we were very close.

When I was 18 my brother had a major motorcycle accident and broke his spine. I was devestated. I turned to drugs and alcohol to drown my sorrow. I was drinking at least two cases of beer a day and smoking pot and doing speed like there was no tomorrow. For me I didnt care if there was a tomorrow.

Something that didnt help was the fact that my boss was a druggie. If he didnt have a joint or a beer or a bit of speed he would be a royal ass all day. So it was kind of company policy to keep him high on something. Somebody on the job always had something.

All this was fine at first because I was trying to numb the pain of what happened to my brother. I knew I would never again be able to spar with the man who taught me to do a front snap kick. HE would never kick again.

After about 6 months it really started getting to me. My mind was all messed up and it was really taking its toll on my body. Eventually I had to quit my job because I knew that all the drugs and alcohol were killing me and I had to get away from it.

I got clean and never touched the speed again. Sadly, one of the guys I worked with on that job had been a friend of mine since age 12 and he never got clean. Well, not really. I would continue to go see him over the years and he was always drunk. He knew how I felt about the speed. Not long before I came to Australia I heard him say "I aint touched that shit in six years."

"Thats funny dude because I was here 2 days ago and saw you buy some. Thats why I left. And thats why Im leaving NOW. You cant even admit to YOURSELF you just did that crap a couple days ago."

I correct myself. This type of behaviour went on for YEARS. He never could understand why I stopped going over there on a regular basis

He's one of the many drug user/alcoholics that continually says "I do NOT have a problem." Tell me that after you havent had a beer in 14 days. All alcoholics think they dont have a problem. My friend likes to give me that load of crap every time hes drunk

Drugs SUCK. They ruin your life. They empty your wallet and you have nothing to show for it.

My latest addiction is Sunflower seeds. Much healthier.

Im also very glad (and lucky) I didnt kill myself with the drugs. If I had I would never have been able to marry and have a baby girl. My wife and my beautiful daughter are all the euphoria I need.

[ 07-10-2002, 07:12 AM: Message edited by: Earthdog ]

The goverment here in the UK have anounced today that they are to downgrade canabis to a grade 'C' drug putting it on a par with steroids & anti depresants,pretty much making it legal

So you're going Dutch then huh ? :D

In the states those are controlled substances. That would make pot even MORE illegal. Im afaid I find the classing system a little confusing.

Does this mean a doctor can give presciptions for it now? Still sounds like "pretty much" isnt the same "AS" legal. Am I confused here or what? Sorry but I dont get it.

In the states those are controlled substances. That would make pot even MORE illegal. Im afaid I find the classing system a little confusing.

Does this mean a doctor can give presciptions for it now? Still sounds like "pretty much" isnt the same "AS" legal. Am I confused here or what? Sorry but I dont get it.</font>[/QUOTE]Earthdog, in Holland you CAN get prescripted cannabis, it's for people who are feeling down a lot and have constant headaches. Exept hardly anyone makes use of that privilage. Think of it, first you gotta go to a doctor, explain what your problem is, then he'll give you the prescription which you can collect at an apothecry. People go to the nearest coffeeshop instead, it's a lot quicker ! :D

in the uk all the declassification of cannabis only means basically means the police will not arrest you for posession only if your found to be supplying but they can and i suspect will ''reposess'' the offending article.

Eartthdog you mentioned drugs taking their toll on sabbath! YEs!! have you seen the osbournes on MTV? you can see in his eyes that his brain has just had too much