How Art Changes Your Brain: neural effects of art on psychological resilience in adulthood.

[bananas]

"Our findings are the first to demonstrate the neural effects of visual art production on psychological resilience in adulthood."

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0101035

How Art Changes Your Brain: Differential Effects of Visual Art Production and Cognitive Art Evaluation on Functional Brain Connectivity

Anne Bolwerk, Jessica Mack-Andrick, Frieder R. Lang, Arnd Dörfler, Christian Maihöfner
Published: July 01, 2014
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101035

Abstract

Visual art represents a powerful resource for mental and physical well-being. However, little is known about the underlying effects at a neural level.

A critical question is whether visual art production and cognitive art evaluation may have different effects on the functional interplay of the brain's default mode network (DMN).

We used fMRI to investigate the DMN of a non-clinical sample of 28 post-retirement adults ... <snip>

In the visual art production group 14 participants actively produced art in an art class.

In the cognitive art evaluation group 14 participants cognitively evaluated artwork at a museum. ... <snip>

We observed that the visual art production group showed greater spatial improvement in functional connectivity of PCC/preCUN to the frontal and parietal cortices from T0 to T1 than the cognitive art evaluation group.

Moreover, the functional connectivity in the visual art production group was related to psychological resilience (i.e., stress resistance) at T1.

Our findings are the first to demonstrate the neural effects of visual art production on psychological resilience in adulthood.

Open access, free to view the full paper online or download the pdf.

[chervilant]

1. Thanks for this thread.

For years, I listened to my parents' voices in my head, telling me I couldn't be an artist or a writer, because "only those very skilled at art and writing can make a living from it" (meaning I wasn't skilled, I surmised).

In graduate school, I apprenticed to an accomplished jeweler and learned to work silver. I am now woodcarving, blacksmithing and creating gourd art, as well. I do pyrography. I have learned to knit and crochet. I am completing a beautiful hook rug from recycled bed linens. I have a mixed media studio in my home and a metals studio in my walk-out basement--just got my forge last night!

When I'm creating art, I am in a most pleasurable zone. Time flies by, and I get to experience the incredible rush of creating something with my own hands. It's amazing!!!!

I cannot wait to fire up my forge!

Again, thanks for this thread!

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Ditto. eom

[Bill USA]

2. very interesting!