Bipolar & Covid — Creativity in Quarantine

Everyday is a new fight, especially when trying to stay creative. Covid didn’t help.

In one interview, an interviewer told 2Pac, “At least being in jail gives you plenty of time to write great songs.”

He shook his head and said, “It’s the opposite. Prison kills your creativity. It kills your soul.”

That line hits harder than I ever expected, because it mirrors what so many of us—especially those living with Bipolar II, ADHD, or chronic insomnia—felt during Covid. "Just" bipolar & Covid. This year was supposed to be a reset, and instead it turned into a slow-motion burnout. The idle time should’ve been fertile ground for creativity, but instead it felt like a cage: open a little, close again, open halfway, slam shut.

No routine. No rhythm. No spark.

And I kept trying to force creativity anyway, which is basically the quickest route to self-loathing for any artist—especially one whose brain chemistry loves to tango with depression.

Here’s what I keep reminding myself:

Creativity doesn’t disappear. It goes quiet. It hides. It waits.

And trying to drag it out before it’s ready only feeds bipolar’s favorite monsters—depression, anxiety, insomnia, instability and pressure you don’t need.

We’re still living through a collective trauma. It’s okay if you’re not operating at “peak creativity” or “pandemic productivity mode.” Be kind to yourself. Lower the bar. Let your nervous system breathe.

Check in with yourself. Reach out if you’re struggling—there’s actual power in that. A quick video chat with someone you trust, a walk around the block in the sun, a loose plan for tomorrow…tiny adjustments count. They’re lifelines when everything else feels overwhelming, paralyzing or just flat out stuck.

We’ll get through this weird, heavy chapter.

It’s just taking longer than any of us expected.

Stay well. Stay grounded. And don’t let bipolar, depression, anxiety or ruminating thoughts grab the steering wheel.