Chapter 1
Optical illusions and how the brain paints the world
Chapter 2
Synesthesia and the sensory crossover in art
Chapter 3
The subconscious mind as an artistic co-pilot
Chapter 4
How creating art rewires the brain
Ch 4 · How creating art rewires the brain
choko Art and Brain Plasticity
Rewire your mind, rewire your mind / Building new pathways with every design
choko Crafting and Cognitive Reserve
Stitch by stitch, stitch by stitch, working with your hands makes your brain pathways click!
choko Entering a flow state quiets the brain's default mode network and raises dopamine to reduce stress and enhance problem-solving
BETA
choko Mix colors on the canvas to discover how your brain translates art into emotion.
Fun Fact
Artistic healing: Hospital patients who have paintings of natural landscapes in their rooms recover faster and require less pain medication than those staring at blank walls!
Glossary
neuroplasticity (noun)
The ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience. A 2015 Dartmouth study revealed that college students taking drawing classes physically restructured their prefrontal white matter.
The ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience. A 2015 Dartmouth study revealed that college students taking drawing classes physically restructured their prefrontal white matter.
Quiz
Which psychologist famously coined and studied the concept of the 'flow state' in the late 20th century?
Quiz
Which brain network, responsible for self-criticism and mind-wandering, quiets down during a creative 'flow state'?
Quiz
Which chemical is released by the brain's reward centers when we look at a painting we find exceptionally beautiful?
Quiz
Why is art therapy highly effective at treating trauma compared to traditional talk therapy?
Quiz
Who is widely considered the 'mother of art therapy' in the United States, pioneering the field in the 1940s?
Quiz
According to a 2014 study published in PLOS ONE, what happened to seniors who regularly engaged in visual art production?