Book I’m Reading: Your Brain on Art
Your Brain on Art is a book I came across, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross and I was really amazed by the research. It talks about how creating or even engaging with arts has the capacity to re-wire our brains and help form new neural pathways. And this is regardless of your skill level. And this helps with our mental well-being, plays a huge role in learning, healing and flourishing.
Your Brain on Art is a lovely book on the power of art and creativity to transform our brains
Suddenly I began to see even more clearly what my 100 day project back in May 2015 had done for me.
Rewind to May 2015.
I was a new mother, in a full time corporate IT job trying to balance my roles. Then, a friend and I, on a whim, decided to do a 100-day art project — draw, paint for a 100 days, even if it was for just 5-10 minutes. That’s where my journey with art journalling and going back to art began.
(Sidebar: The project also helped me get back in touch with something I really enjoyed as a kid, and had briefly considered studying art in my undergrad, but wasn’t too sure back then, and became an engineer instead. I know.)
At that point, doing the 100 day project simply became a way to carve out some me-time and do something purely for myself. I wasn’t even sharing it on Instagram back then. After that, I kept at it, and continuing to make art frequently, and eventually a mix of talent + honing of skills got me to a level where I took up freelance illustration.
But here’s what the book made me realise: I didn’t know it back then, but I was building new brain pathways. That made my brain more adaptable and open to new possibilities. That’s possibly explains why I switched careers and went on to pursue illustration as a career for a few years, before finally landing on being an arts therapy practitioner today.
Also, the gratifying bit: I insist in all my workshops, and with 1:1 clients it doesn’t matter if you think you can’t draw — if you enjoy it, just make art for a few minutes a day. I always knew it in my bones, and now it’s kinda cool to read the research behind it.
I was making art purely because I was enjoying it, but in hindsight, I was just laying the foundation for becoming who I am today.
So, if you’re someone who enjoys any form of the arts — music, making origami, trying out new recipes, poetry or something else, this is your reminder to go spend some time doing that today!
And do it as often as possible.
Kurt Vonnegut’s advice to a bunch of high school kids, written to them in a letter:
“Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow.
Art Journalling: An easy, low-pressure way to get back to making art
If you want to get into the sketchbook habit by just drawing or painting for ten minutes a day, here’s quick guide to getting started. It’s also a great way to spend fewer minutes doomscrolling and building a creative habit.
