10 February 2025
Writer: Christopher Jan Dumaguin
Researcher: Christopher Jan Dumaguin
Graphics: Richardson Mojica
Tweet Chat Moderator: Richardson Mojica
The Curtain Clarity of Art
We can learn a great deal about the basic mechanisms behind our perception of creativity by comprehending how our brains interact with artistic expression.
When it comes to the brain on art, the process starts with perceiving and recognising the representational artwork in front of you. It’s a step-by-step journey that your brain takes to make sense of what you’re seeing, Visual Perception and Recognition. [1]
Visual Perception: Your eyes take in the visual information from the artwork – the colours, shapes and lines. This information is then sent to the visual cortex in your brain. [1]
Recognition: Next, your brain starts grouping the visual elements together based on principles like proximity and similarity. This is how you recognize what the artwork is depicting. [1]
For example, if you’re looking at a painting of a landscape, your brain will group the green elements as trees, the blue as the sky and so on. It’s a remarkable ability that the brain on art possesses. [1]
The visual cortex is the powerhouse when it comes to the brain on art. This region at the back of your brain is responsible for processing and interpreting the visual information you receive. [1]
As you perceive and recognize representational art, different areas of the visual cortex become active, working together to make sense of what you’re seeing. [1]
Once your brain has perceived and recognized the representational artwork, it moves on to the next step – interpreting and appreciating the deeper meaning and emotional impact conveyed by the artist. [1]
At deeper cognitive processing, the brain on art engages in higher-level cognitive processing. It is like climbing to the top of a ladder. Your brain starts to make sense of the artwork’s narrative, symbolism and cultural significance.
Various regions of the brain associated with complex thinking and emotion become active, allowing you to interpret and appreciate the artwork on a deeper level. [1]
Art has the power to evoke strong emotional responses within us and the brain on art is responsible for processing these emotions. [1]
As you interpret and appreciate representational art, the brain’s reward and pleasure circuits become activated. [1]
These same brain regions are involved in other rewarding experiences, such as listening to music or spending time with loved ones. [1]
It’s no wonder that engaging with art can be such a fulfilling and enjoyable experience! [1]
Regulating Emotions through Artistic Creative Strategies
How wonderful that art has been a vital core of human culture and expression for millennia. There have been many experts who find it fascinating to investigate the secrets of the brain through art as we experience the feelings, stories, and cultural significance that the artwork embodies not only what we see with our naked eyes.
Interpreting and appreciating representational art is a complex and rewarding process that engages various regions of the brain, from those responsible for cognitive processing to those that govern our emotions and evolutionary heritage. [1]
There is a rich literature exploring emotional responses to engaging in artistic creative activities such as making music, writing, dancing and crafts. However, it remains unclear how such activities affect our emotions; specifically which mental processes (‘strategies’) are used to regulate our emotional responses. [2]
As emotional responses to artistic creative activities are the most immediate affective response, it is therefore important to understand how artistic creative activities lead to emotional engagement and processing. To facilitate this enquiry, Goethem and Sloboda proposed a four stage model:
- The ‘goal’ of engaging in a creative activity refers to what somebody hopes to achieve before they start engaging in the activity (e.g. wanting to calm feelings of anxiety). [2]
- The ‘tactic’ refers to the creative activity they choose to engage in to achieve this goal (e.g. painting for an hour). [2]
- The ‘strategy’ refers to the type of mental process used to regulate the emotions (e.g. distracting the person from their anxiety). [2]
- The ‘mechanism’ mediates the induction of emotions (e.g. the visual imagery conjured which occupies their thoughts). This process then leads to experiential, behavioural or physiological emotional responses to the creative activity. [2]
It is very important to understand these stages for us to incorporate art into our lives as a means of promoting brain health and overall well-being; that these art explorations can be impactful in the artistic expression through our mental and emotional experiences.
Stress Reduction and Focus Improvement through Art
Nowadays, it can be difficult to find moments of deep calm and less exertion of creativity when dealing with our busy schedules.
However, there is flow state in art – a feeling like you’re in the zone and lose sense of yourself and of time, as if making art can help you be more present, and it activates a variety of networks, including relaxed reflective state, focused attention, and pleasure.These flow states are achievable and can be integral to effective stress reduction. Coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow describes a mental state where one is fully immersed and engaged in an activity, often leading to enhanced performance and satisfaction. Understanding the science behind flow can unlock new pathways to reducing stress and finding tranquility in daily life. [3]
During flow, the brain’s prefrontal cortex, responsible for self-reflective thoughts and executive functions, becomes less active, a phenomenon known as “transient hypofrontality.” This temporary reduction in prefrontal activity allows individuals to fully immerse in the present moment, free from self-doubt and distractions. Achieving a state of flow can significantly reduce stress, providing immediate relief and long-term benefits for mental well-being. Here’s how flow facilitates stress reduction:
- Distraction from Stressors: When individuals are in a flow state, they become deeply absorbed in the activity at hand, diverting attention from external stressors. This immersion temporarily escapes everyday worries and anxieties, providing a mental break leading to a refreshed perspective when returning to these issues. [3]
- Increased Sense of Control and Mastery: Flow-inducing activities often involve a balance between skill and challenge, which fosters a sense of competence and achievement. This feeling of mastery can enhance self-efficacy and resilience, making individuals better equipped to handle stress in other areas of their lives. [3]
- Positive Feedback Loop Enhancing Mood and Resilience: The neurochemicals released during flow, such as dopamine and serotonin, contribute to feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and emotional stability. These positive emotions can create a feedback loop that enhances the immediate experience and builds emotional resilience over time, making it easier to cope with stress. [3]
To experience flow, identify activities that naturally draw your focus and passion. Here are some areas where you can seek out flow:
- Work Tasks: Choose challenging projects that are within your skill level. Break large tasks into smaller, manageable goals to maintain focus and motivation. [3]
- Hobbies and Sports: Engage in activities that you are passionate about and that challenge you appropriately. This could include playing an instrument, painting, running, or playing a sport. [3]
- Learning and Personal Development: Take up new learning opportunities that interest you, such as online courses or reading about subjects you’re curious about. [3]
Breaking Bipolar Disorder Myths
“Bipolar genius traits” are not part of a clinical definition of bipolar disorder, which each individual experiences differently. But knowing the features of bipolar disorder may help explain what some people see as heightened creativity. [4]
Bipolar disorder is a diagnostic umbrella that includes bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder. Most people think of bipolar disorder as involving “highs and lows,” where an individual might experience manic episodes of high energy between periods of what’s called euthymia, or depression. [4]
Diagnosis for bipolar disorders is complicated, but the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) focuses on the presence or absence of three kinds of episodes or symptoms:
- Mania: characterized by being in good spirits with high energy, with behaviors like racing thoughts, little need for sleep, increased activity, and increased risky behavior;
- Hypomania: involves the same symptoms as mania but less severe and for a shorter period of time;
- Depression: signaled by feelings of despair, lack of interest in pleasurable activities, fatigue, restlessness, or suicidal thoughts.
Often, people associate periods of mania or hypomania with the creative aspect of bipolar disorders. Manic episodes are still misunderstood as being merely positive, productive periods. In fact, they can be uniquely exhausting and cause reckless, harmful behavior. [4]
There is mixed evidence of a connection between bipolar disorders and creativity. But experts are taking dynamic approaches to explore a possible link. Researchers do know that bipolar disorders have a strong genetic component, with a heritability rate of about 58%. [4]
This has led many to conclude that the genes associated with bipolar disorder may offer advantages such as above-average creativity, intellectual insight, and productivity. Those who carry the genes but do not have clinical symptoms of bipolar disorder may reap these benefits, while those with more severe expressions of those genes experience a negative influence on creative accomplishment. Researchers call this “shared vulnerability,” where the genetic variance may manifest as creativity or clinical diagnosis. [4]
Now here’s the boiling point to wonder, are there really any relevant connections between creativity and mental health conditions? People may romanticize many myths surrounding not only bipolar disorders but also other mental health conditions, however, let’s embrace the truth that it is also absolutely possible to regulate one’s creativity in a healthy manner while promoting one’s overall wellness with the right support network and effective treatment plan.
Session Questions:
- How do you express your creativity?
- How do you regulate your emotions through artistic creative strategies?
- What creative activities can you suggest for those experiencing mental health problems?
References:
- M, Suhail. The Brain on Art: How We Process and Appreciate Artistic Expression. Retrieved at: https://www.ezeeart.com/the-brain-on-art-how-we-process-and-appreciate-artistic-expression/
- F, Daisy et al. 2019. How do artistic creative activities regulate our emotions? Validation of the Emotion Regulation Strategies for Artistic Creative Activities Scale (ERS-ACA).
Retrieved at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6363280/#sec024
- Remon, D. The Science Behind Flow and Its Impact on Stress Reduction
Retrieved at https://danremon.com/the-science-behind-flow-and-its-impact-on-stress-reduction/
- Psych Central. 2021. What’s the Link Between Bipolar Disorder and Creativity? Retrieved at https://psychcentral.com/bipolar/the-link-between-bipolar-disorder-and-creativity#research
