Re: How Our Brains Work Creatively | Bell Beth Cooper
I am a new fan of her writing! She succinctly supports her writing with neuroscience findings, and I agree with the discrepancy of being a right-brained or left-brained person. There is no distinct brain hemisphere correlations to creative or logical behaviors; however, I think describing behaviors as left or right-brained can help facilitate intentional neural rewiring.
We have the capacity to be more logical or more creative. Cooper illustrates wonderful steps towards incorporating more creativity into one's life. I've also written about some creative choices in a previous post.
Cooper mentioned:
The two general principles of ideas James describes two principles of the production of ideas, which I really like:
1. an idea is nothing more or less than a new combination of old elements
2. the capacity to bring old elements into new combinations depends largely on the ability to see relationships
Referring to MBTI cognitive functions, iNtuition is the production of ideas. Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) in particular, focuses on creating something new with what is already given. Ne combined with well-developed Extroverted Thinking (Te) is a powerhouse for idea generation. I think creative individuals have been given a negative reputation, and media doesn't help by perpetuating the stereotype of mental illness and suicide of hopeless-romantic artists who become recluses in log cabins in the woods.
Does creativity have a stigma the way mental illness has one? I remember speaking to a person who worked with artists, yet was adamant to ensure I understood that (s)he was not an artist herself.
(S)he asked, "Are you an artist?"
I nodded my head, yes.
"That is so interesting. I work with artists, but I'm not one. I'm very curious about the mind of an artist."
I continued to listen.
"There is a disproportionate amount of artists with bipolar. Did you know that?"
Language has power, and perhaps intention and curiosity can sometimes lead to misunderstanding. I think open conversations can be great opportunities to create positivity around being artistic. Maybe there is a correlation between mental illness and creativity. How about something positive :) What does art give us? Art gives us beauty and introspection. Art visualizes the human condition at its core. Art gives us a voice when words are not enough. Art is a universal language and can connect all hearts across the oceans. I hope that with time, being creative can be something we can all embody.
Additional Writings by Bell Beth Cooper:
- 22 Tips to Care for Introverts & Extroverts
- 10 Suprising Things That Benefit Our Brains
- 8 Ways Music Affects & Benefits Our Brains
Additional Writings on Artists & Creativity:
- Getting Messy & Creative at my Age? | Boontarika Sripom
- Why Left-Brained Right-Brained Myth Will Never Die | PsychologyToday
- Are Some People Born Creative? | Guardian
- Creativity in Art & Science: Are There 2 Cultures? | NCBI
- A Neurological View of the "Tortured" Artist | Stanford
- Inside the Box | Slate
- Mysteries of the Artistic Mind | PsychologyToday
- What the Brain Draws From: Art & Neuroscience | CNN
- What the Brain Can Tell Us About Art | Eric R. Kandel
- The Roots of Creativity Found in the Brain | LiveScience
Image Source: BuzzFeed (AMAZING CREATIVE INSPIRATION POST :))
