Art and the Brain

Due to the advances in neuroscience we now know a lot more about the brain and what we can actively do to rewire our circuits and therefore create powerful changes in our thinking, feeling and behaviour.

What does art have to do with this?

Vision is one of the most important functions of the human mind. We see before we can use words. The brain system responsible for vision occupies almost half of the cerebral cortex. 

Thoughts alone can actually alter your brains biochemistry.  Imagine how much more powerful the use of thought processes in combination with visual processes can be. It will develop new circuits in your brain if applied correctly.

Art also activates your senses and evokes an emotional response and therefore your brain will release neurotransmitters which in turn allows for new neural circuits to form quicker.

Neurotransmitters can also give you an energy boost. This is why being creative makes you feel good.  Using both the left and right hemisphere of the brain means combining logic, intuition and creativity.

We also know that mental images activate the same neural pathways as images from the external world. The brain does not actually differentiate between ‘real  images” and created images. This means that if you paint yourself in the way you would like to be you start to develop new neural circuits to match this image. If you continue to practice it (like learning a new language), it becomes a reality. You have consciously rewired your brain to make it work better for you.

The process of putting a visualized goal on paper already requires you to face and overcome obstacles and emotional barriers. You have the opportunity to practice creating something in a microcosmos and then transfer it to your life. “If you can draw or paint it you can do it.”

The strategic use of art can be a powerful tool to rewire your brain.

Neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor likens the brain to a garden. It is our job to tend to it and to choose which circuits we want to grow and which ones we want to prune back.  This process can be made easier through the use of painting and drawing, because it allows us to make use of both hemispheres to consciously choose what to focus on. And “what we focus on expands.”