Art Is Nature That Passes Through the Limbic of Your Mind

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Have you e'er taken the opportunity to marvel at an intricate painting, relax to a delicate piece of music, or ponder a complex poem? Humans pursue creative expression and savor creatively produced material every day. Creativity is essential for the arts, for new inventions, and for human expression. How does the encephalon support creativity? While inventiveness is all effectually u.s. and a fundamental aspect of our lives, request scientific questions nigh creativity has been difficult. While we tin identify artistic acts and processes, there has been some trouble testing and measuring creativity. Here, we explore the scientific inquiry of creativity. In particular, we inquire what is happening in the brain and in our thoughts in social club for us to pursue artistic activities. Finally, we explore some myths surrounding the brain and inventiveness and the benefits that being creative has in your life.

Creativity is just connecting things. When you lot ask artistic people how they did something, they feel a lilliputian guilty because they didn't really practice it, they just saw something. Information technology seemed obvious to them after a while—Steve Jobs

What is Creativity?

Inventiveness has long fascinated everyone from artists to philosophers to psychologists. Why exercise humans experience the demand to exist creative and enjoy creative cloth? While creativity is a bones role of human thinking, what counts as creativity and how exercise we measure information technology? Inventiveness is often viewed as a subjective field, pregnant that everyone's personal opinion near creativity is different, so we need to have a really articulate definition in order to sympathise what inventiveness is. So, what exactly is creativity? While in that location are many components of creativity, including originality, pleasure, value, procedure, and imagination, the definition that scientists utilise to report creativity puts those components together to say that creativity is an power to produce something that is both novel (or original) and has utility (is valuable to someone). This definition allows scientists to develop of testable hypotheses most how creativity arises from the human encephalon.

How Practise We Ascertain Creativity?

Nosotros all interact with, procedure, and produce creativity differently, which makes creating a universal definition of inventiveness very challenging. As Steve Jobs reminds us, fifty-fifty artistic people have a hard time seeing the things they recollect and create as creative! The difficulty in recognizing and defining creativity might stem from the various forms of creative outlets (from the performing arts such equally dance and music to the visual arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, design, photography, and filmmaking). The difficulty may also be due to differences in how people recall about the creative thinking processes (Box 1). However, no thing how different our approaches in understanding creativity may be, forming a definition of creativity will assistance us to empathize its various benefits, processes, and expressions.

Box 1 - The creative process

Steps of the creative process, as defined by the scientist Wallas [1] are as follows:

• Training (or Discover and Heed)—in the first phase, y'all reflect on your past experiences and any creative piece of work you have made previously in order to prepare to use your creativity in a new way.

• Incubation (or Blueprint and Create)—afterwards working on the new creative projection for a while, sometimes information technology is a good thought to take a step back and not work on the project for a trivial bit. Wallas and others accept plant that many ideas arise after a menses of time away from the problem. This phase may be called the Archimedes or Newton phase, where ideas come up to you in unexpected places, such as in the bath or nether a tree.

• Illumination (or Develop and Implement)—coming back to the idea, you lot may find that the problem or creative project "clicks" and the pieces of the idea come together. This is also the time to keep working on the idea or attempt different variations.

• Verification (or Deploy and Deliver)—finally, bank check and see if the idea is new and/or "skillful." This may exist the stage where a writer looks at the page he has written and crumples upwardly the paper earlier starting in a new direction.

Creativity Can Show Upwardly Unexpectedly

Accept you e'er had an AHA! Moment—ane where an idea or solution came to y'all seemingly out of nowhere? This feeling, defined as insight and sometimes called an epiphany, is one form of creativity. Epiphanies too happen as what we call a "eureka feeling." The "eureka feeling" actually refers to an ancient Greek scientist named Archimedes, who was tasked with figuring out how to determine whether a crown was made of solid gold or gilt mixed with other metals, without breaking the crown. He actually discovered the solution while he was taking a bathroom! Archimedes noticed that the water level of the bath changed as he got in and out of the tub. He realized that he could calculate the volume of an object by submerging it in h2o (which is especially helpful for objects with irregular shapes such equally crowns). With the mass of the crown already established, Archimedes used the bath water method and the mass/volume = density equation to decide whether the gilt crown was pure gold or had less dense (less valuable) metals added.

How Practice Creative People Think?

Creativity does non only make itself known equally random ideas and thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. Other forms of creative thinking include convergent and divergent thinking. In convergent thinking, you combine multiple, sometimes very different, pieces of information and find i solution/matter that links them. The creativity exam best known for determining convergent thinking abilities is chosen the Remote (or far away) Associates (or things that are similar) Examination (RAT for curt). During the test, you are given three words and asked to think of a word that is related to all 3. For instance, y'all would be given the words blueish, cake, and cottage. Tin you remember of a discussion that links all of them? Was information technology cheese—every bit in blueish cheese, cheese cake, and cottage cheese?

Divergent thinking, on the other hand, involves generating multiple unlike ideas or solutions from a unmarried starting indicate. An example of a divergent thinking test is the Torrance Test of Creativity. This exam asks y'all to do a number of tasks with both motion picture- and word-based problems. Beyond all of the tasks, you are asked to recollect of as many solutions as possible within a time limit. In one task, you may be shown a picture (such equally that in Figure 1) and asked to think of as many answers to the question "how many uses can you lot come up with for this object?"

• Effigy 1 - Divergent thinking exam.
• How many dissimilar ways could you lot use a cardboard box? Retrieved from: https://pixabay.com/p-152428/?no_redirect.

What Happens in the Brain During Creative Thinking?

So now that you know about 3 different types of creativity, insight, convergent thinking, and divergent thinking, y'all might call up that the encephalon processes must exist complicated. Previous enquiry has demonstrated that several different thought processes in the brain, including processes called working memory , abstraction , planning , and cerebral flexibility , are all critical to artistic thinking. This research has besides shown that the ability to develop strategies is a key role of creativity (like thinking of new or unusual means to use mutual objects such equally unflavored floss to cutting block or cheese when you do not have a knife). Neuroscientists (scientists who study the encephalon), in their attempt to make a connection betwixt creative thought processes and the parts of the encephalon that may process them, accept defined creativity equally requiring the mixing and remixing of mental representations to create novel ideas and means of thinking [2] If you look back to Steve Jobs' quote, you volition see that he describes creativity in a similar way. Combining and recombining mental representations is but connecting things in the brain in the way that the brain stores information.

In order to understand what combining and recombining mental representations means, think back to your own process while solving the RAT question. How did yous search for the answer—cheese? Did you attempt a few words that did not work at first? What did you exercise next? Your process of trying some words and then others is an instance of mixing and remixing mental representations. Similarly, recall back to your process of solving the divergent thinking question. With the cardboard box shown in Figure i, did y'all think of ways that you could use a paper-thin box? You could brand a fort, or store things, or make a sign, or make a behemothic cardboard robot, or do whatsoever number of other things.

Inventiveness in the Encephalon

Recently, the ways we call back and the parts of the encephalon that contribute to creativity have become of interest to cognitive neuroscientists. Since creativity is among one of the most circuitous of man behaviors, information technology likely requires the coordination of multiple brain regions and types of thinking. Considering creativity is and so complex, information technology seems naive to call back that creativity can be localized to a single region in the brain. In fact, only a few neuroscience studies have tried to investigate the regions of the brain responsible for inventiveness. For a long time, scientists thought that creativity was processed only in the right hemisphere (side) of the brain. All the same, studies that looked at the activity in the brain while people were doing creative tasks, or in patients who had encephalon damage that resulted in difficulty with creativity showed that an area of the brain called the frontal cortex (Box ii; Figure 2) was associated with creativity. This seemed to make sense because the frontal cortex processes the previously mentioned cerebral processes (for instance, working memory, abstraction, planning, and cognitive flexibility).

Box 2 - The human being brain does not have one creative center

Frontal cortex—the frontal cortex has long been idea of equally the hub or center of creativity, as it seems to be responsible for many of the functions that contribute to creative thinking (such as working (or brusque-term) memory).

Hippocampus—the hippocampus is best known for memory of things that you can declare, such every bit facts and experiences. The processes that the hippocampus performs to procedure these memories involve storing and retrieving the pieces of these memories from where they are stored in the cortex. In the creative process, like to remembering experiences by pulling together different parts of the feel, the hippocampus may be used in imagination to pull together ideas in ways that you take not thought of in the past.

Basal ganglia—the basal ganglia is a structure deep within the brain. The basal ganglia process the memory of skills and how to do things—often things that we do not have to call up well-nigh directly, such as riding a bike. With time and practice doing creative tasks, you lot get better at them.

White thing—white matter makes up the connections between various encephalon structures. The meliorate connected the areas of the brain are, the better and faster the brain can processes information. In the artistic process, having a well-connected brain may allow y'all to join more ideas, more quickly.

• Figure 2 - Encephalon areas involved in creativity.
• A number of different parts of the brain are important for creative thinking, including the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and basal ganglia. Retrieved from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/ii/2e/Gray739-emphasizing-hippocampus.png.

New research has demonstrated that the hippocampus (Box 2; Figure 2) is too critical for inventiveness. In one study, it was shown that participants who had damage to their hippocampus had lower scores of divergent thinking every bit measured past the Torrance Test of Creativity [2]. In a 2d written report, it was shown, using the RAT, that convergent thinking was as well impaired in patients with hippocampal damage (described above) [three]. Earlier, we mentioned that neuroscientists can define creativity equally the mixing and remixing of mental representations. The hippocampus does just this in the mental process that it is all-time known for, memory. Think dorsum to one of your favorite memories. Maybe information technology is your concluding birthday celebration. The hippocampus combines your feelings (joy and happiness to exist celebrating with your friends), the scene where it took place (the science museum in your hometown), the actions (bravado out the candles, opening presents), and all of your experiences (seeing all of your friends, smelling the candles burn, hearing Happy Birthday sung) into the memory of your last altogether.

How Do Scientists Await at Creativity in the Encephalon?

Previously, nosotros discussed studies that investigated what happens when harm occurs to a item part of the encephalon and how that affects the brain's abilities. Those studies allow researchers to expect at the necessity of a particular brain area for a certain ability. In other words, if a part of the brain is damaged or missing, tin a person however do sure activities? Another method of investigating the brain uses something called functional mapping, which involves the utilize of technologies to measure out activity in the encephalon. 2 functional mapping technologies are called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which uses magnetic fields to observe movement of blood bringing fuel materials to parts of the brain that have been active, and electroencephalography (EEG), which measures the electrical activity of the brain.

In i study, scientists looked at both fMRI and EEG images taken of participants while they worked on different tasks that involved coming up with creative ideas [4]. The EEG study showed that when they were coming up with creative ideas, study participants had synchronized (firing together) brain action in the frontal cortex and the parietal lobes. In the fMRI study, more creative responses were related to increased activation (or usage) of the frontal cortex in the left hemisphere. Combining the results from the patient studies and functional imaging studies, we see that there are a lot of parts of the brain involved with artistic thinking.

Brain Myths of Creativity #1: Left Brain and Correct Encephalon?

Have you ever been asked if you are left brained or correct brained (Figure 3)? This question refers to the idea that each hemisphere of the brain is specialized for different abilities. In full general, the left hemisphere has been thought to specialize in understanding words, processing mathematical information, and thinking analytically (the "rational" brain). The right hemisphere, on the other mitt, was thought to specialize in processing non-verbal information, spatial information, music, emotions, and creativity. As we see in creativity and other complex functions, a number of specialized structures in the encephalon work together to accomplish something. Localization of certain abilities to one side of the brain or the other was offset found in certain individuals who had the master communication betwixt their hemispheres, the corpus callosum , cut so that each hemisphere was substantially working independently. In near people, however, the ii sides of the brain are able to communicate, so while brain structures may accept some specialization, virtually complex brain functions require many parts of the encephalon working together.

• Effigy 3 - The left–right brain myth.
• People used to believe that the two sides of the encephalon were specialized for unlike activities: the logical left and artistic correct hemispheres. Retrieved from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Right_brain.jpg.

Brain Myths of Creativity #2: Creativity and Intelligence Do Non Go Together

Similar to the myth that you tin only be either left brained or right brained, some think that you tin can but be intelligent or creative. Intelligence is usually defined every bit the power to obtain and apply noesis. While intelligence and creativity are somewhat related, they are not the same thing and people can exist both creative and intelligent, or one or the other [v]. Important factors that brand people highly artistic probably take something to do with personality—things such as openness to new experiences.

Encephalon Myths of Creativity #three: Mental Disease Makes People Artistic

Some people take suggested that in that location is a link between creativity and mental illness. This link could be best described as the "crazy creative hypothesis" or the "mad genius hypothesis." While it may exist easy to think of highly creative historical figures who may have been suffering from mental disease, such equally the artist Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890, Dutch painter of The Starry Night), poet Sylvia Plath (1932–1963, American Pulitzer Prize winning poet, author of The Collected Poems, The Bong Jar, and Ariel), writer Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910, Russian author, regarded as ane of the greatest authors of all-fourth dimension, known for War and Peace and Anna Karenina), or others, they represent a small percentage of individuals with mental illness and a small-scale percent of people who are creative. Mental illnesses such every bit bipolar disorder , schizophrenia , low , and alcoholism have been studied for their potential link to inventiveness. The findings propose that highly creative people are not necessarily mentally ill, but may ofttimes think in ways similar to individuals with mental illness. In fact, Nancy Andreasen, a leading scholar on the neuroscience of inventiveness, who has worked with some of the most intelligent and creative people in modern science and the arts, has suggested that many highly creative individuals who were diagnosed with mental illness were not artistic because of the mental illness but were creative despite the mental illness working confronting them [6].

The Hereafter of Your Encephalon and Creativity

While creativity may be a central human power and pursuit, the study of the source of inventiveness in the brain has only just begun, then we still accept a lot to acquire. While scientists continue to larn more most inventiveness, ane thing we already know is that being creative has a number of benefits (Box three). So even if we do non know exactly which mental processes or parts of the brain are involved with creativity, we tin withal suggest that you and your friends should go out and be creative, because it will help yous and your brain.

Box three - Being creative has a number of benefits

• Helps relieve stress: by condign involved in a creative practise, you can enter a mental state chosen "flow" or "the zone" which can assistance reduce stress levels and leave you feeling calm. Yous may accept experienced a flow land if you take ever lost rail of fourth dimension while doing something you savour.

• Energizes you: past pursuing something that you lot savor, being artistic can assistance give y'all free energy past focusing your attention on something that you like rather than habitation on the worries or bothers of the twenty-four hours.

• Helps your emotions: a number of recent therapies, including music therapy, dance therapy, and art therapy, are beingness used to help patients with different emotional disorders, including depression and mail service-traumatic stress disorder. Past being creative, you can work through your own emotions and feelings.

• Increases your empathy and tolerance: viewing fine art has been shown to increase people's feeling of empathy and tolerance toward other people who are different from themselves. By existence creative and pursuing creative activities, you can learn more near other people and cultures.

• Increases brain plasticity: your brain makes connections and changes throughout your lifetime. Creating art can stimulate communication between different parts of the brain and having a well-connected encephalon is thought to exist more of import for things such as intelligence than the sheer size of various brain structures.

So now that you accept all this data almost inventiveness—go out and do and showcase your own inventiveness! Many of us retrieve that we are not artistic because we might not be good at drawing or do not have slap-up musical abilities, but everyone possesses some degree of creativity within them. The thing that separates the truly creative people is how they chose to showcase their inventiveness. Some might illustrate their inventiveness in art forms such every bit writing, music, trip the light fantastic toe, and drawing, others might recollect about and question the natural world in new means, merely all inventiveness stems from a specific way of thinking. Push your brain to draw connections between seemingly different ideas, equally inventiveness is just thinking outside the box—anyone can do that. Existence creative in your thinking will assist you lead a more than interesting, healthier, and happier life.

Glossary

Subjective: ↑ Based on personal opinions, interpretations, points of view, emotions, and judgment. The opposite of subjective information is objective information—analysis that is fact-based, measurable, and observable.

Working retention: ↑ A memory organisation in the brain with a limited chapters that is responsible for the curt-term property, processing, and manipulation of data.

Abstraction: ↑ A thought process that is characterized past adaptability and flexibility. Abstraction involves considering things that may not have concrete things, or specific objects. Example of an abstruse concept is, "freedom" and "law."

Planning: ↑ A set of encephalon functions necessary for the control of behavior. Planning is the procedure of thinking about and organizing activities required to achieve a goal.

Cognitive flexibility: ↑ Allows y'all to either hands switch betwixt thinking about two different concepts or to think about multiple concepts at the same time.

Mental representations: ↑ Hypothetical symbols in the brain that represent the external reality. Mental representations tin can be idea of every bit mental imagery, or the ability to imagine things in your listen like traveling to a place y'all take never visited or doing things you lot have never done like fly similar super hero.

Corpus callosum: ↑ A bundle of nervus cells that connect the ii hemispheres of the brain.

Bipolar disorder: ↑ A mental disorder that involves periods of depression followed past periods of elevated mood.

Schizophrenia: ↑ A mental disorder that has a number of different symptoms, some involving abnormal social behavior and bug understanding what is existent.

Low: ↑ A mood disorder that involves depression mood that affects a person's behavior, thoughts, and feelings.

Conflict of Involvement Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absenteeism of any commercial or fiscal relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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References

[i] ↑ Wallas, G. 1926. The Fine art of Idea. Turnbridge Wells: Solis Printing.

[ii] ↑ Duff, M. C., Kurczek, J., Rubin, R., Cohen, N. J., and Tranel, D. 2013. Hippocampal amnesia disrupts creative thinking. Hippocampus 23(12):1143–9. doi:10.1002/hipo.22208

[iii] ↑ Warren, D. Due east., Kurczek, J., and Duff, M. C. 2016. What relates newspaper, definite, and habiliment? An article describing deficits in convergent trouble solving and creativity following hippocampal damage. Hippocampus 26(vii):835–40. doi:ten.1002/hipo.22591

[4] ↑ Fink, A., Grabner, R. H., Benedek, M., Reishofer, Yard., Hauswirth, V., Fally, Thousand., et al. 2009. The creative brain: investigation of brain activeness during creative trouble solving by means of EEG and fMRI. Hum. Brain Mapp. 30(3):734–48. doi:x.1002/hbm.20538

[v] ↑ Welter, Chiliad. Thousand., Jaarsveld, S., van Leeuwen, C., and Lachmann, T. 2016. Intelligence and creativity: over the threshold together? Creat. Res. J. 28(two):212–8. doi:10.1080/10400419.2016.1162564

[6] ↑ Andreasen, N. 2006. The Creative Brain: The Science of Genius. New York, NY: Feather.

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Source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2017.00019

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