Back when I was drinking, I had one excuse I loved to use:
“I need it to get creative.”
If I was brainstorming, starting a project, or trying to write something, I’d tell myself alcohol unlocked my ideas. It felt like it made me bold and inspired.
Looking back now, I see it for what it was. A myth.
Alcohol isn’t magic. It’s just a drink that changes how your brain works, and not in a way that actually helps you be creative.
Let’s talk about why this idea is so popular, and why it’s not true.
Why Alcohol Feels Creative
When you drink, you might feel more creative.
You talk more freely. You stop second-guessing yourself. You share ideas you’d normally keep to yourself. That can feel exciting.
But feeling creative and being creative are two different things.
Real creativity is more than throwing out ideas. It’s knowing which ones are worth keeping. It’s making connections, thinking deeply, and staying focused long enough to turn a spark into something real.
Alcohol doesn’t help with that. It just shuts down the part of your brain that filters your thoughts. When the buzz wears off, you’re often left with messy notes, half-finished work, and a foggy head.
It’s not true creativity. It’s just the feeling of it.
What Alcohol Does to Your Brain
Here’s what actually happens when you drink:
- Dopamine and GABA go up for a while, making you feel relaxed and confident
- Glutamate slows down, which means your brain works slower and your thinking is less sharp
- Serotonin changes, which affects your mood and emotions
- Memory and focus drop, making it harder to finish what you start
- REM sleep is disrupted, so your brain can’t process ideas as well later
Yes, alcohol can make you care less about being judged, but it also makes it harder to think clearly, stay focused, and follow through.
And real creativity needs you fully present and clear-headed.
Where Creativity Really Comes From
Creativity comes from you, not from a drink.
It doesn’t need to be forced. It needs the right space to show up.
You’re most creative when you’re relaxed, curious, and not under pressure. That’s why your best ideas often show up:
- On a walk
- In the shower
- Driving quietly
- Writing in a journal at night
Those moments happen because your mind is calm and open, not because you’ve had a drink.
Why the Myth Sticks Around
So why do so many people believe alcohol helps creativity?
Because it gives three feelings that look like creativity:
- Confidence – You speak without holding back
- Relief from perfectionism – You stop overthinking every detail
- A short burst of ideas – Thoughts come quickly, but usually fade fast
It’s also a handy excuse. “This is how I work” is easier to say than “I’m nervous about creating.”
But the truth is, the burst never lasts. It’s followed by tiredness, distraction, and frustration.
The Hard Truth
Here’s something that hit me hard:
Drinking doesn’t make you more creative. It just makes you notice less that you’re not.
The best ideas usually come after you’ve taken the time to think clearly, calm your emotions, and create space in your mind.
They happen when you’re rested, steady, and focused. Alcohol gets in the way of all that.
How to Spark Real Creativity
If you want lasting creativity, you don’t need a drink. You need a simple process.
- Clear your mind
- Turn off notifications
- Close extra tabs
- Write down anything else you need to do so it’s out of your head
- Relax
- Take a slow walk
- Do some deep breathing
- Try a short meditation
- Make time
- Block out a couple of hours
- Go somewhere quiet
- Let people know you’re unavailable
- Write or brainstorm freely
- Put every idea down, no matter how silly
- Don’t judge or edit yet
- Step away
- Do something different for a while
- Let your mind connect things in the background
- Come back fresh
- Look at your ideas with a clear head
- Pick out the ones worth keeping
Creativity Is a Skill
Creativity isn’t random. It’s a skill you can get better at with practice.
The more you work on it without alcohol, the stronger it gets.
Every time you reach for a drink to “help” your creativity, you’re telling yourself you can’t do it alone. But you can.
Once you experience what sober creativity feels like—clear, focused, and full of energy—you won’t want to trade it for the fuzzy, half-present version again.
Letting Go of the Fantasy
If alcohol truly helped creativity, we’d all have written books, started businesses, and created amazing art by now.
Instead, it leaves us:
- Scattered
- Inconsistent
- Foggy the next day
- Frustrated with unfinished work
Sobriety gives you the space to do your best work. It improves your focus, memory, emotions, and follow-through. Those are the real tools of creativity.
You’re the Source
The myth of alcohol and creativity only works if we forget where creativity comes from.
It doesn’t come from a glass. It comes from you.
From your experiences, from your way of seeing the world, from your thoughts when they’re clear and alive.
When you stop relying on alcohol, you start trusting yourself. And that’s when you create things that matter—things that last.
— Brent