They measured blood flow to the brain's reward center, the medial prefrontal cortex, in 26 participants as they completed three art activities: coloring in a mandala, doodling and drawing freely on a blank sheet of paper. She and a team of researchers discovered this in a 2017 paper published in the journal The Arts in Psychotherapy. "Which means that you feel good and it's perceived as a pleasurable experience." Studies show that despite those fears, "engaging in any sort of visual expression results in the reward pathway in the brain being activated," says Kaimal. She is a professor at Drexel University and a researcher in art therapy, leading art sessions with members of the military suffering from traumatic brain injury and caregivers of cancer patients. "Anything that engages your creative mind - the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate - is good for you," says Girija Kaimal. This idea extends to any type of visual creative expression: drawing, painting, collaging, sculpting clay, writing poetry, cake decorating, knitting, scrapbooking - the sky's the limit. "Creativity in and of itself is important for remaining healthy, remaining connected to yourself and connected to the world," says Christianne Strang, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Alabama Birmingham and the former president of the American Art Therapy Association. It turns out there's a lot happening in our minds and bodies when we make art. That made me wonder: What is going on in my brain when I draw? Why does it feel so nice? And how can I get other people - even if they don't consider themselves artists - on the creativity train? Life Kit Making Art Is Good For Your Health.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |