I'm pretty open about the fact that I'm bipolar(technically multipolar if you want to split hairs, but its mostly an academic difference).
I occasionally get asked what a manic cycle is like.
This is how I picture it, how it feels to me.
Imagine an adrenaline rush, a flash of insight, a moment of inspiration; that sudden surge of mental focus and drive.
Now imagine that lasting for days.
Like a volcano, a manic phase explodes with a dramatic outpouring of energy, then returns to dormancy to recharge for the next eruption.
The thing you have to learn when you are bipolar is how to channel the inferno; how use the rush, and not be incinerated by it.

Done in Corel Sketchpad