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An Artist's Work Day
Amphetamines (Adderall)
Citation:   Bearhugger. "An Artist's Work Day: An Experience with Amphetamines (Adderall) (exp84188)". Erowid.org. Jun 15, 2020. erowid.org/exp/84188

 
DOSE:
T+ 0:00
15 mg oral Amphetamines
  T+ 3:00 15 mg oral Amphetamines
BODY WEIGHT: 110 lb
I bought four pills from a friend after hearing about the effects on concentration. I usually don’t have problems studying or concentrating in school but I have used adderall before to aid in art. I decided to take two 15mg pills during a long studio class day. I popped the pill right before walking into the class room with the intent of taking the 2nd one about an hour later. The dose sounds small, but I am a very small person and have an excellent reaction to all drugs.

I LOVE my figure drawing class and have always enjoyed losing myself in a piece of artwork. I usually work with charcoal and have a very loose style. On this day my teacher announced we’d be doing something slightly different… we would draw one pose for about 40 minutes and then move our view point and draw the same pose again, three different times on the same sheet of paper- creating a cubist effect. I was a little worried at first because I really wanted to concentrate on the detail of one pose and not have to worry about moving around. We were also instructed to use graphite pencils, which I’ve never really enjoyed.

I sat down and took a few deep breaths and slowly started to interpret the model. Usually I take a few minutes just measuring and planning out my drawings but this time I decided to just jump right in. Time passed in the blink of an eye and I soon realized that the first block of time had gone by… looking at my drawing I reflected that I included a lot more tonal detail than normal- with more focus on shades of value. I decided to hold off on the second pill because I didn’t feel like I needed it yet. Going through the next two hours was great! I let my creative tendencies override my concern for accuracy
I let my creative tendencies override my concern for accuracy
whilst keeping a focus on detail and I am very proud of the piece that formed. The whole class didn’t feel that different from normal- other than a general feeling of well being. I wasn’t concerned as much with the outcome, but the journey of art.

After my drawing class got out I headed straight to a painting studio where a rather large painting was waiting for me. This is definitely the highlight of the entire day! I downed the other pill and immediately got to work. I zoned out for about a half hour before suddenly taking note that that my heart rate was up significantly. My back and neck began to ache but I couldn’t stop painting. Mixing colors became a traveling experience and where once I was afraid to go I eagerly went. Painting can be daunting and difficult, but none of those thoughts were in my mind. I forgot about all space around me and wasn’t aware of the other painters talking in the studio. I listened to a variety of music I don’t usually enjoy but it seemed to merely slip by me. It was back round to the amazing composition in front of me. I cared so deeply about each wave of my paintbrush, each tiny little blend, the way the colors interacted with each other. I felt powerful. I was God to this work. Without any time going by I made something beautiful. It was such a joyful experience to just sit and create- I felt like I was exploring a whole new world of possibilities that I had overlooked before. I looked at my watch and was very surprised to see that six hours had gone by. It was hard to tear my eyes away from the canvas but I finally got up and walked around. I went to the bathroom and noticed that my back felt like someone took a sledgehammer to it. Also, my right hand and arm ached from holding a paintbrush. I realized that I had been sitting in a chair concentrating on art for nine hours strait. I didn’t regret a second of it. I wasn’t hungry but felt a little weak. Walking home I started to feel more and more tired and worn out.

After I settled at home in my own bed I tried desperately to go to sleep.
I tried desperately to go to sleep.
My whole body hurt and I needed to be refreshed. Unfortunately every time I closed my eyes I saw a paintbrush. It was like my mind was still painting. I saw wonderful colors and images but I was so frustrated that my body couldn’t keep up. I wanted to be painting so badly. I laid in bed and thought of nothing but painting for four hours. It was excruciating and painful.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience and can’t wait to try it again. Upon reflection, I will take the dose earlier in the day and make an effort to take breaks during the working art experience. I would love to do this again outside painting a landscape.

Exp Year: 2010ExpID: 84188
Gender: Female 
Age at time of experience: 19
Published: Jun 15, 2020Views: 717
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Amphetamines (6) : Performance Enhancement (50), Glowing Experiences (4), School (35)

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