Neuroaesthetics - Art’s powerful influence on our well-being
Ever wondered why or how engaging in creative activities makes you feel so good?
Now that science has finally caught up to what all of us creatives/artists already know, we have some scientific evidence. And a new field of science… ‘neuroaesthetics’.
Neuroaesthetics is the name applied to the study of how the brain interprets creative activities and changes behaviour, feelings, and bodily sensations.
Art is now recognisied as an essential component to human well-being.
It’s not an entirely new scientific field, apparently the emergence began in the late 1990’s and the term first coined by Neuroscientist Semir Zeki, according to Susan Magsamen – founder of International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroa
esthetics. Magsamen also reiterates the arts have shown to have profound changes not only psychologically and physiologically but also spiritually. Having seen the emotional and spiritual transformations of those in end-of-life stages, I would agree.
Why does understanding how the arts transform our being become important? Well, it helps us therapeutic arts practitioners find the best activities to support specific conditions that are evidence based. As Magsamen articulates it enables us to fine tune specialized programs that are better suited for healing through the arts.
Art therapists have been doing this for decades with little scientific data to back up what they see occur in the art therapy room with their clients. If we step back in time and I mean a long time ago, the evidence is clear to the use of art for emotional expression.
What we today coin art has its roots in prehistoric times. Research into early human life has discovered that therapeutic rituals took place amongst indigenous tribes, through sand and cave painting, sculpture, dance, and storytelling and can be seen as precursors to the understanding of art therapy today (Junge, 2016; Malchoidi, 2008; Rubin, 2009). Early Indigenous Australian rock art has strong underpinning connections to wellbeing in our First Nations people’s. Whilst this form of art had benefits to the indigenous communities at the time, it remains a form of strong connections to history and culture for today’s indigenous people. Their sense of emotional, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing is highly correlative with their connections to country, ancestors, their culture, and stories. Therefore, this ancient form of art making has significant impact on the wellbeing of today’s indigenous people. Taçon (2019) concurs, a positive sense of cultural and personal wellness originates from strong cultural identity that is underpinned by such connections. Their lore’s, language, philosophies, and ways of living are etched in those early art creations, that keep their culture alive and strong, powerfully linking country, past and people and profoundly impacting on the wellbeing of current First Nations generations. Ancient cultures worldwide have used art, dance, storytelling to help face challenges, make sense of their world and their relationships (Vick, 2003). Despite these very early observations of the importance of creative art making for humans, it has taken significant time to emerge into current day therapy and gain the credibility it deserves.
Creative arts encompass a wide range of activities; it’s not just what we know to be art, i.e painting, drawing etc, it is also movement, drama, dance, music, cooking, and writing. When our expression comes from deep within the psyche or the soul it reveals the truth, it shifts the energy and has the capacity to heal wounds. When we are switching our brain activity from left side intellect, reasoning, and analytical behaviour to the right-side activities we are allowing our intuition, spontaneity, and imagination to be seen and heard.
Curiosity, surprise, and wonder are evoked in the art maker or art lover and Magsamen again reiterates that these experiences are fundamental to the well-being of, not only, the individual, but also, on the collective human experience.
Neuroscience has awarded us the opportunity to understand just how the brain’s neurons can change and adapt and it has been noted that these neural pathways will grow dramatically when we put ourselves in an environment that is not only new but also safe and sensorial. Current research is showing us in great detail how our senses are experiencing aesthetic experiences, transporting those to the brain which allows identification of measurable biomarkers. Whether we know it or not, the body is experiencing the arts in profound ways.
Through monitoring MRI images of people engaging in art activities or even admiring artworks, researchers have found an activation of the reward centre lights up, subsequently releases feel-good hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. The result, sensations of pleasure and affirmative emotions.
Can you think to a time when you are experiencing chaos, how does this make your body feel?
Now put yourself in a creative environment where there is no judgement, expectation, or rules, only acceptance, freedom, flow, and connection. How does the body respond? I would dare say you notice your shoulders drop, your jaw relaxes, the breath becomes easier, the body feels more flexible and open, and an overall sense of peace is felt.
Does your brain feel a sense of relief?
I know mine does.
Healing from life’s challenges and traumatic experiences can often feel heavy, fearful, and never ending as the elusive search for peace and contentment can make our brain tired. Thinking our way through healing is exhausting and often doesn’t get to the healing space…. the core root of our issues. It doesn’t have to be hard or exhausting, we need to find the right activity that works for us. That might be art in therapy or art as therapy, maybe movement is your thing. Trauma informed yoga and somatic movement are gentle but oh so powerful. Maybe it’s getting your hands dirty with some clay, this one has become an obsession for me (clearly have a lot more healing to do…). Cooking and gardening are also creative pursuits that connect you with the earth and have the added benefit of helping you ground. Writing… poetry, fiction, non-fiction, children’s stories. Stepping away from the voice of judgement and expectation and being free to allow buried creativity to emerge has so much potential to allow us to thrive.
We are a society high on anxiety, depression, suicidality and chronic health problems and the old conventional allopathic ways are not working (I’m not sure they ever did in all honesty).
Whilst we are hard wired for negativity, according to Brené Brown and arrive in this life with ancestral baggage seeping out of our DNA, there are solutions to feeling better and I strongly believe the answers lie within the creative fields. Good news is that our DNA not only carries the murky stuff but according to Magsamen, “aesthetic experiences and the arts – are hard-wired in all of us”.
And the excellent part, research suggests that the maker does not require any ounce of proficiency to benefit from creative pursuits.
So, let’s get out of our left-brain comparative, reasoning brain that shouts, ‘I’m not artistic or creative’ and get our hands and bodies moving and allow the emergence of the creative soul within. It’s time to be free, to feel better and to thrive.
Resources
Your Brain on Art: The Case for Neuroaesthetics. Susan Magsamen. 2019. www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC70755
Junge, M. (2016) In Gussak, D., Rosal, M.L. (Ed.) Wiley Handbook of Art Therapy. John Wiley & Sons.
Malchiodi, C. A. (2008). Creative interventions with traumatized children. Guilford Press.
Rubin, J. A. (2016). Approaches to art therapy: Theory and technique (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Taçon, P.S.C., (2019). Connecting to the ancestors: Why rock art is important for Indigenous Australians and their well-being. Rock Art Research. 36(1) 5-14.
Vick, R. (2003). A brief history of art therapy. In C. A. Malchiodi (Ed.) Handbook of art therapy (pp. 5–15). New York: Guilford Press.