Disrupting the Mad Genius Myth: Emotional Instability Undermines Creative Self- Beliefs Through Lower Subjective Well-Being in Professional Artists

The influence of cyclothymic temperament on the creativity of professional artists has long been debated. Popular narratives often suggest that emotional instability fuels creative achievement, giving rise to the enduring cultural figure of the "mad genius". However, empirical literature presents a more complex and often contradictory picture. This study investigates whether subjective well-being (SWB) mediates the association between cyclothymic temperament and creative self-beliefs. A sample of 201 artists with proven professional status completed the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego, and a validated nine-item creative self-beliefs scale. Confirmatory factorial analyses supported the measurement models, and structural equation modelling with bootstrapping was conducted. Results indicated that cyclothymictemperament negatively predicted SWB, while SWB positively predicted creative selfbeliefs. These findings suggest that contrary to the “mad genius” myth, heightened cyclothymic temperament may undermine creativity when it reduces well-being, highlighting the importance of addressing factors modulating the SBW of professional artists.