Page 4 - ChildArt July-Sept 2017 Your Brain on Art

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What if we told you that
the way a room or building
is designed can help you
recover from an illness or
heal more quickly? What if
we told you that you could
be more productive and
creative simply by listening
to a certain type of music?

The Arts +
What if you could solve conflicts or under-
stand another person’s perspective by
creating art? And what if you could get
better grades just by taking a walk in the Architecture, music, visual arts, digital
woods every once in a while? Well, it’s true! media, writing, dance, theatre
We are constantly interacting with the
world around us. Our five senses—hearing,
sight, touch, smell and taste—are working their essence, the arts engage the senses These questions are at the heart of neuro-
all the time. Our senses help us understand to create aesthetic experiences. And the aesthetics, an emerging discipline focused
and identify color, an item we hold, a sound term “aesthetics” doesn’t just mean that on exploring the neural processes under-
we hear. They orient us when we enter a something is beautiful, it refers to the lying our appreciation and production
new room or a new space. physical world that surrounds us. of beautiful objects and artwork and the
Our senses directly inform our brains This interaction between our brains experiences that include perception,
so we can learn, heal and grow. and the arts is what neuroaesthetics is all interpretation, emotion and action.
Since the beginning of humanity, we about. Specifically, neuroaesthetics uses The field attracts scholars from many
have been making or experiencing the brain science to understand aesthetic disciplines, including neuro and cognitive
arts, creating environments and commu- experiences at the neurological level. scientists, architects, artists, designers,
nicating our unique stories of culture psychologists, philosophers, educators and
and self. The arts affect our emotions How does the brain interpret aesthetic others. Neuroaesthetics received its formal
and feelings—they help to shape our experiences? definition in 2002 as the scientific study of
brains. The arts cover a broad spectrum the neural bases for the contemplation and
of things including natural and human- How does our knowledge of basic brain creation of a work of art.
made environments, architecture, music, mechanisms inform our understanding of Many scholars and institutions around
dance, visual design, theatre, digital these experiences? the world have studied and continue to
media, creative writing and poetry. At study the intersection of the arts and mind.