I find it odd how they seem to use depression and sadness interchangeably. I'm not myself entirely sure where I would draw the line between the two though. The

I find it odd how they seem to use depression and sadness interchangeably. I'm not myself entirely sure where I would draw the line between the two though. The most simple analogy I can think of is sadness can result naturally from a loss (like the death of a family member or friend) that takes a natural course that fades over time. Depression can be much more ambiguous and is not always directly related to life-events and is sometimes rooted in mental illness. Speaking of mental illness, I'm pretty surprised bi-polar disorder is not mentioned at all in the article. I think its been fairly well researched that bi-polar individuals (both today and before bi-polar was an understood mental illness) can have highly productive periods (manias) that have lead to great works of music, art, and science and oscillate with periods of depression. I have known multiple people to fit this description (some diagnosed, some not) and it would be easy to miss or not understand these cycles and think that their depressive nature contributed to their creativity when its really their mania cycles that produce the most. Personally, my creativity takes a nosedive when I am sad or depressed, which likely changes from person to person. Things that reduce depression also increase creativity for me (exercise, sports, good food etc).