The Effect of Art and Creativity on the Brain

The Effect of Art and Creativity on the Brain

By Arshiya Alwadi

“What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit” – John Updike

When was the last time you picked up a paintbrush? Or a marker, crayon, or other mode of creative expression?

Regardless of skill level or age, art is an important part of life and society. I understand that often we view different fields and subjects in separate sectors—science, history, literature, mathematics, art, etc. as being distinct and detached from each other. However, more often than not, these fields of study overlap and interact with each other, especially art and science.

Art and creative activities have been proven to impact different parts of our brains, benefitting our biological and emotional health. From craft-making, drawing, and painting to even just observing art, these activities are linked to positive changes in our somatosensory, motor, and visual systems. It increases blood flow in the brain, raises serotonin levels, and reduces stress (ACRM, 2020; Gharib, 2020). According to Heather L. Stuckey, DEd, and Jeremy Nobel, MD, “Engagement with creative activities has the potential to contribute toward reducing stress and depression and can serve as a vehicle for alleviating the burden of chronic disease” (Stuckey, 2010). Art is a tool that contributes to both physical and mental health improvements, making individuals feel more relaxed and content.

Regular involvement in creative activities is important in all stages of life. For example, it is vital in childhood as it significantly improves cognitive and motor development. Encouraging children to interact with different artistic materials and tactile creative activities stimulates their various senses, greatly contributing to the development of their hand-eye coordination and perceptual development (Huotilainen, 2018). Art also involves them in states of mindfulness at the same time which improves psychological well-being as well. Fostering creative, artistic activities is also important in many rehabilitative treatments for the elderly, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, both helping their motor skills as well as their emotional health (Hannemann, 2006).

Additionally, research has proven the multisensory aspect of artistic hobbies to be a contributor to raising the brain’s plasticity, which is its flexibility or ability to adapt. Practicing craft skills such as pottery, painting, drawing, and even playing musical instruments, can alter different neural pathways and create advanced links in motor and auditory areas of the brain. Artists often have better memories and observational skills, much of it attributed to the effect of art and creativity on the brain’s plasticity (ACRM, 2020).

Not only is creativity and art important for one’s cognitive health, but it is also an important factor in physiological and mental health.

Think about the last time you worked on something artistic. Did you ever encounter a roadblock in your creative process? Did some paint accidentally spill onto your work, or did you struggle to complete a section of your project?

There are always obstacles that come with working on a creative project; after all, what’s art without a little challenge? But when we face these inevitable challenges in an artistic setting, it provides a chance to work through those failures and emotions. Art is a safe space to tackle the emotions that come with failing because failing is an important part of exploration and imagination (Huotilainen, 2018). It fosters emotional intelligence and the development of positive growth mindsets which can be applied in all other areas of life. Art also provides a method of self-expression that doesn’t require words, just feelings. In addition to stress relief, art encourages the exploration of various mediums and the space to peacefully grow, discover, and process emotions.  

Creativity is essential in all aspects of life and has an impact on not only mental but cognitive health as well. And this creativity can take many forms, especially in the art world. Painting, drawing, pottery-making, crafting, knitting, and playing a musical instrument are just a few of the thousands of ways that exist to engage that artistic brain in beneficial activities.

References

Acrm. (2020, August 27). How the brain is affected by art - rehabilitation medicine. ACRM. https://acrm.org/rehabilitation-medicine/how-the-brain-is-affected-by-art/#:~:text=There%20is%20increasing%20evidence%20in,also%20occur%20by%20experiencing%20art.

Gharib, M. (2020, January 11). Feeling artsy? here’s how making art helps your brain. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/11/795010044/feeling-artsy-heres-how-making-art-helps-your-brain

Hannemann BT. Creativity with dementia patients. Can creativity and art stimulate dementia patients positively? Gerontology. 2006;52(1):59-65. doi: 10.1159/000089827. PMID: 16439826.

Huotilainen, Minna & Rankanen, Mimmu & Groth, Camilla & Seitamaa-hakkarainen, Pirita & Mäkelä, Maarit. (2018). Why our brains love arts and crafts. Form Akademisk - forskningstidsskrift for design og designdidaktikk. 11. 10.7577/formakademisk.1908.

Stuckey HL, Nobel J. The connection between art, healing, and public health: a review of current literature. Am J Public Health. 2010 Feb;100(2):254-63. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497. Epub 2009 Dec 17. PMID: 20019311; PMCID: PMC2804629.