25 replies to this topic

[alden]

Hello.

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience on good stacks for creative writing.
My main problem seems to be focus and motivation. When I do sit down to write, the words usually come in the manner that I want, but usually not for very long. Soon I am looking around the room at other objects, searching for sentences.

Pircetam and Alpha-GPC have seemed to help a little so far. I am generally more stimulated, and once I sit down my focus lasts a little longer, and actually I have noticed a slight increase in how creative I am as well. The box that I draw words from seems to have grown slightly.

But I still feel that I am lacking the motivation and focus that I want.
So what would be a beneficial addition?

I am currently taking around 3.2 grams of Piracetam, and around 600 mg of Alpha GPC. Tomorrow will be the second full week of taking this.
Also I added 4.5mg of Hydergine, and 1mg of Deprenyl a week ago. When I first looked into Nootropics I wanted to try especially the ones I had heard the most about, but I think I will at the very least drop Hydergine due to prices.

I'm on a budget.

So I was thinking of adding:
Pyrtinol
Centrophenoxine

Maybe:
Huperzine A
Picamillion (possible vincamine instead if it ever comes bulk and cheap)

What do you guys think?

[rfarris]

I'm on a budget.

So I was thinking of adding:
Pyrtinol
Centrophenoxine

Maybe:
Huperzine A
Picamillion (possible vincamine instead if it ever comes bulk and cheap)

I can't help you with which might help with creative writing, although I've read that centrophenoxine helps staying on point, but in the budget department, those are all moderately expensive except Hup-A. It's dirt cheap, so you may as well give it a try. I found that I got a neck-pain when I was taking 600mg of A-GPC and 100mcg of Hup-A, so I've cut back on the A-GPC, whatever help that might be.

If you're interested in vincamine, you may as well look into vinpocetine, (derived from vincamine), and it's another dirt cheap supplement.

You mentioned bulk, so I assume that you're buying bulk PIR, and that you know that a kilo of PIR (around 1200 caps) costs about the same as a 120 cap bottle.

-- Rick

[liorrh]

actualy i think that it depends on your personality. usualy overthinking people ("cholinergic") need some gabaergic supplements for creativity, they need to relax to be creative. others need serotonine, while tripy/sleepy folks just need the will power and thought process(DA/cholinergics) to get the job done

[alden]

actualy i think that it depends on your personality. usualy overthinking people ("cholinergic") need some gabaergic supplements for creativity, they need to relax to be creative. others need serotonine, while tripy/sleepy folks just need the will power and thought process(DA/cholinergics) to get the job done

To me it seems that my tendency goes more towards not getting the job done. I tend to do a little, do a good job, and then want to walk away for a bit.. I want to have a smoke, or get something to eat, or see what other people are doing. Sometimes I come back a few seconds later, and I do more. Sometimes I just end up wondering off.

This usually happens when I'm searching for the next idea. I have to remind myself to generate it. I have to remind myself to stay on task. Otherwise I'll feel inclined to pacing. And pacing in a house with roommates is just asking for it.

That description to me doesn't yell out for any of those more than the other, although your mention gabaergic supplements does give me an alternative direction. So I guess I'll experiment until I find it.

Thanks.

[jack21]

I would agree with liorrh. As he will tell you, it's sometimes dismissed as behavioral neurochemical pseudoscience, but there is something to be gained from determining your general neurochemical composition. You can read The Edge Effect by Eric Braverman and take the test inside to do so. I don't usually subscribe to these types of broadly sweeping methods but nevertheless I found the book useful and informative and its determinations of my nature fit very well with the findings of my own introspective queries and also semi-objective judments of my own character through memories of past actions. I am dominant in acetylcholine, and have all the characteristics which are indicated by this nature, with dopamine being a close second. My gaba and serotonin readings were very low, and the lists of problems the book attributed to these deficiencies were nearly copies of my life's medical history. I do a lot of writing myself, and often have experiences similar to yours, but I found that this was likely due to my constant anxiety and the wanderlust it inspired. If I have a few gabaergic supplements in my gut I find it easier to focus and remain working simply because I am more relaxed and less fiery. If you should find that you have a similar makeup, you'll want to look into adaptogens (rhodiola rosea, primarily) that can help you focus while relaxing you, and that have no generally sedating effects. Good luck!

[alden]

So adaptogens..
What is gabaergic, besides just straight GABA?
What about Theanine?
Picamillion?

[gcurrie]

What is gabaergic, besides just straight GABA?
What about Theanine?
Picamillion?

Picamilon certainly is, being GABA bonded to niacin. I like it a lot, as it is relaxing without being soporific.

For writing, I also rely on vinpocetine for the touch of clarity I get. In fact, vinpocetine is still probably my favorite cognitive enhancer - my desert island nootropic. I've gotten dramatic results with others as well (aniracetam, alpha gpc, pyritinol) but vinpocetine has (for me) no pesky side effects whatsoever.

[alden]

Hmm. Yeah I was going to go off Hydergine and get picamillion already.. and I was looking into vinpocetine, etc.

At first I was thinking picamillion because of it being a vasodillator, and I heard that even it is stronger than hydergine (?) but now with the addition of the calm-down qualities, and it's pretty damn cheap isn't it?

It seems like the next addition to my stack, along with maaybe pyrtinol. But first I need to take some edge off before introducing potentially more edge.

[mnosal]

I find that 100mg of Picamillon combines well with 500mg Pyritinol for writing. I take the two 45min-1hr before testing or writing at home and it makes the process of "putting racing thoughts to paper" much more manageable.

I have always been a "good" writer but this addition provides me with concise correct papers without the need for rough drafts or more than basic editing for grammar and format.

[alden]

I find that 100mg of Picamillon combines well with 500mg Pyritinol for writing.  I take the two 45min-1hr before testing or writing at home and it makes the process of "putting racing thoughts to paper" much more manageable.

I have always been a "good" writer but this addition provides me with concise correct papers without the need for rough drafts or more than basic editing for grammar and format.

Sounds good.
Thanks.

[alden]

For writing, I also rely on vinpocetine for the touch of clarity I get. In fact, vinpocetine is still probably my favorite cognitive enhancer - my desert island nootropic. I've gotten dramatic results with others as well (aniracetam, alpha gpc, pyritinol) but vinpocetine has (for me) no pesky side effects whatsoever.

How much vinpocetine do you use?

[gcurrie]

How much vinpocetine do you use?

I use 10 mg 3 times a day. Always with food for better absorption. In fact, there is a study indicating that caffeine or theobromine (in coffee, tea and chocolate) help to increase the effects.

[brainwise]

Hey...hi there I am Rafiq from Pakistan and i help young adults in schools and universities as a workshop leader in personal development...Can anybody please help me out here...specially Qcurrie?

I have experimented with a few herbs, amino acids and fish oil. Now this is for Qcurrie: I feel a mild low or sometimes very mild anxiety, lack of energy and motivation if i dont take vitamin supplement GNC Mega Men or any other good vitamin. I have got excellent results with Vinpocetine 5mg a day along with a vitamin.

I have tried Ginkgo but that makes me too motivated but its not bad however cant take it for too long. Ihave tried fish oil and felt really great similar to Vinpocetine. Also tried acetyl l carnitine but that feel like too much acetyl choline after a while as if the frontal brain becomes too clog for ideas

. The only problem with fish oil and vinpocetine is that they supress the immune system if used extensively e.g. over a month and i start getting throat infections or cold. I have not tried GABA and i am wondering qcurrie that what type you think i am according to "The Edge Effect" as i have not bought the book i am thinking if you can suggest some good ideas ?

What its like to take GABA? Like with Vinpocetine i get enhanced color perseption, pictures become more surrealistic and music or songs become more juicy, deep and heart warming and thiking becomes very clear and there is a sense of serinity as if you are almost enlightened. With fish oil you dont get the auditory effects however rest of it is similar to vinpocetine. How do you feel on GABA?
DO you get any visual or auditory special enhancement effect with that? I would really appreciate some good and detailed input here as i want to keep it to herbal or natural supplements as other stuff like hydergine or ssri have bad side effects. Thank u

[gcurrie]

Rafiq:

I've not noticed any problem personally with fish oil+vinpocetine and immune system problems. I rarely get colds.

I have ordered the Edge Effect but have not received it, so I can't comment yet. I am most interested in the explanation of neurotransmitter dominance and deficiencies.

I have recently played around with GABA a little. So far, I find little or no effect. I do like Picamilon (GABA bonded to niacin). That I CAN feel, makes me relaxed and content - not that I need that much as I personally don't suffer from much anxiety.

Although I am a professional-level musician and audio engineer, I don't notice any audio enhancement myself from vinpocetine. I do notice a clarity in my thinking, almost like cleaning a window to let the landscape come through. For that alone it's well worth it to me.

I think the vitamins are essential. I find that a B complex makes a huge difference for me.

If you haven't tried Piracetam or Aniracetam, you might. Many people seem to prefer one or the other. I like both. P is dreamier and A is more verbal (for me).

[brainwise]

Thankyou Qcurrie, really appreciate your input. You are correct every persons chemistry is unique and different and so are the effects. Well i will give P and A and see how they affect me.
By the i found that the German Commission E has documented that Phosphatidyl Serine and Vinpocetine can suppress T-Lymphocytes if taken for long however its reversable and Fish oil can suppress the same microphages (immune cells) in young people but not in older individuals. Just keep things under check but if you take them once in a while then that wont effect anything as such. Any way thanks again for your help!
Rafiq

[oilfieldpilot]

For creative writing:

Here is an aside you may want to consider. Have you ever heard of hemisync?
I took the Gateway at TMI and listen daily to hemisync. long story short, it blew the doors off my creative writing...that was non-existent.
I have completed a novel and starting the sequal. Best I can say, (from a non-writer!) I don't 'know' where it is coming from...but I am typing away as fast as I can to keep up! Somehow I had a door open up for me and I am having the time of my life with the writing now! I cannot believe how easy it has been...there is noooooo such thing as writer's block!
and funny thing is, my background is left-brained analytical science (geologist and surveyor) and current profession flitting about the offshore oilfields.
Writing was Never in my 'genes'...so I thought.
Then I went to Gateway and started hemisync.
Talk about a life-changer! [thumb]

I've had an friend who is an editor at a med school (30 yrs) and she proofed the first; and she thinks someone else wrote it for me..hahaha! I agree!

I take the nootropics listed in prev post to help keep my senses honed.

just fyi I thougth I'd share. it may help you too.

good luck!!! [thumb]
ofp

[liorrh]

what is hemisync?

[bossplaya]

Hemisync is "binaural beat" brainwave technology. It is a kind of meditation & brain enhancement tool, where you listen to electronically generated sounds with a pair of stereo headphones.

There is also Holosync and a free program called "bwgen" (brainwave generator), which do the same thing.

How it works is that it plays different frequencies into the left and right ear. The brain takes these separate frequencies and integrates them into a single perceived carrier tone - a binaural beat. What this does is cause both hemispheres of the brain to work together, and with repeated use, new neural pathways between the left and right brain will be formed - a process known as "entrainment". This results in:

...communication between parts of the brain that previously were not communicating, or were communicating only a minor amount. One of the unique things about the Holosync® technology is its ability to create synchronisation between the two hemispheres of the brain, over time making this kind of cross-hemispheric communication permanent.

This increase in communication within the brain leads over time to what scientists call whole brain thinking or whole brain functioning. This includes such things as increased learning ability, creativity, intuition, mental clarity, and intelligence, plus an increase in what some would call "mystical" or "metaphysical" powers -- in my opinion, latent abilities we all have but usually do not exhibit because we use such a small portion of our brains.

But here's the really amazing thing that happens: every time the nervous system makes a quantum leap -- every time your brain reorganise s in response to the input we are giving it with the Holosync® technology -- in order to make that shift you have to let go of some of the unresolved mental and emotional material we all have under the surface in the unconscious mind. Whether it is unresolved fear, anger, anxiety, sadness, or limiting beliefs, some of this material will be incompatible with the brain's ability to operate at the next higher level of functioning and will be resolved.

I used to be an active participator on the Holosync forum, because my plan was to use binaural beat technology and nootropics together. This could make a quantum leap in intelligence and brain function. I still intend to do so, when I am ready. But the Holosync CDs are very expensive. There are free Hemisync downloads on P2P file-sharing networks, but they are in lossy MP3 format, and I would rather work with an integrated package than just listen to some random MP3s.

I am just sharing what I know about this technology. Here are a couple of links that may help to explain more:

http://www.trans4min...howitworks.html

http://www.centerpointe.com (there is a free demo on this site, which I have tried and found quite pleasant to listen to)

[Rienzo]

Great thread. I'm also a creative writer and although I haven't tried picamillon, I have experimented with l-theanine, l-phenylalanine, PEA, and deprenyl, but haven't ever had much luck with any of them. Deprenyl especially filled me with energy but seemed to dissipate what I consider "clutter in the brain," which can be useful for generating ideas. I couldn't really stand to sit down and patiently write on it. In my experience SAM-e and NADH are solid supplements for creativity and productivity. SAM-e is expensive but NADH isn't too bad. I wrote an article called "Six Natural Ways to Enhance Creativity" which describes my personal experience with SAM-e and NADH and the research that supports its usefulness in creative work.

Right now I'm doing a little experiment with arachidonic acid. Although it is usually maligned for its inflammatory effect, I think there may be a role for it in creativity if combined with adequate DHA and EPA (to counter its inflammatory effect). Arachidonic acid has been found to increase dopamine synthesis and release, and to inhibit its reuptake (sort of like amphetamines). Mood-stabilizers appear to interfere with AA in order to achieve their effects. Since heightened dopamine neurotransmission appears linked to creative drive and idea generation, increasing dopamine through supplements and diet appears to be a solid approach to enhancing creativity. I just started the experiment so we'll see. You can read more about AA and dopamine here.

The thing about creativity is that while dopamine appears to enhance it, the closely related norepinephrine appears to inhibit flexible thinking. Those late-night epiphanies and eureka moments may due to the fact that when relaxing norepinephrine declines. So another thing to keep in mind when looking for creativity enhancers is that you want to increase dopamine (especially in the limbic areas) while limiting norepinephrine. Deprenyl may not have worked for me because it increased dopamine as well as norepinephrine.

[bgwithadd]

actualy i think that it depends on your personality. usualy overthinking people ("cholinergic") need some gabaergic supplements for creativity, they need to relax to be creative. others need serotonine, while tripy/sleepy folks just need the will power and thought process(DA/cholinergics) to get the job done

Very true. If you are OCD or have writers block something to relax may help, too. If you are more towards the ADD spectrum some stims (including caffeine) could do the trick to keep you sitting still long enough to work. Stims + OCD tendencies is going to make for problems, though.

I find that for actaul verbal fluency pine bark extract works for me, and ashwaghanda and bacopa to lesser degrees. Those have the benefit of being good for most anyone. Piraectam may help, too.

Edited by bgwithadd, 11 February 2009 - 05:39 PM.

[tlm884]

I'm on a budget.

So I was thinking of adding:
Pyrtinol
Centrophenoxine

Maybe:
Huperzine A
Picamillion (possible vincamine instead if it ever comes bulk and cheap)

I can't help you with which might help with creative writing, although I've read that centrophenoxine helps staying on point, but in the budget department, those are all moderately expensive except Hup-A. It's dirt cheap, so you may as well give it a try. I found that I got a neck-pain when I was taking 600mg of A-GPC and 100mcg of Hup-A, so I've cut back on the A-GPC, whatever help that might be.

If you're interested in vincamine, you may as well look into vinpocetine, (derived from vincamine), and it's another dirt cheap supplement.

You mentioned bulk, so I assume that you're buying bulk PIR, and that you know that a kilo of PIR (around 1200 caps) costs about the same as a 120 cap bottle.

-- Rick

Huperzine A and Alpha GPC increase acetylcholine by two very different mechanisms and neither of these supplements should be taken together. Neck-pain is one of the many symptoms of acetylcholine-excess syndrome. If you are taking piracetam and choline already, steer clear of huperzine a. And if you are young, you don't need huperzine A unless you have VERY early onset Alzhemiers

[Rienzo]

I would tentatively add moderate alcohol consumption. There are a couple ways in which alcohol can be used to enhance creativity. First as an aid to incubation when not actively working on a creative problem, and secondly as a low-dose stimulant when actually writing. For me this only works late at night when limited to 1 or 2 glasses of wine. Alcohol as an aid to incubation has been studied, and you can read more about it here. Alcohol as an aid when actually creating is more anecdotal -- the few studies I've read used widely varying amounts of alcohol and were either negative or ambivalent in their conclusions. For more on how to use alcohol as an aid to creativity, see "How Does Alcohol Affect Creativity."

[Pirate]

This thread is quite old now, but still relevant to anyone interested in creativity.

A lot of research and experimentation, plus new nootropics, have occurred since 2009/2010.

What nootropics/supplements are now considered best for creative writing?

[Raza]

Noopept is pretty awesome for writing. More for fluency than creativity, but it'd be my first choice.

[krsna]

nicotine, caffeine, alcohol = amazing writing.

[KoolK3n]

nicotine, caffeine, alcohol = amazing writing.

Or get a bunch of friends together then have them wired on Vyvanse. Overwhelming brainstorm session. Haha. If we're talking about nootropics, I can't think of any.