Your Brain on Art- Day 13

 

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

Albert Einstein 

The hippocampus is the part of the brain most responsible for our curiosity.

 

According to Your Brain on Art, “When you explore and ultimately satisfy your curiosity with an answer, dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, floods your body. This can bring with it feelings of happiness and satisfaction.”

I’ve always been a curious person. I enjoy seeking out new knowledge and information. I especially enjoy spending time around young children whose curiosity seems to know no bounds. 

One characteristic of curiosity has to do with our ability to embrace uncertainty. Todd Kashdan, author of Curious? Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life, states, “Choosing to explore the unknown rather than avoid it is key to a rich, meaningful life.”

The arts are a perfect way to encourage curiosity. There doesn’t always have to be a right or wrong way when it comes to expressing yourself. Allowing yourself to be more comfortable with ambiguity is another feature of the arts. 

I find that I’m more comfortable with a paintbrush than I am with a pencil.   The blank page has always intimidated me somewhat, but when my grandson asks me to paint with him I come away feeling pretty good about both the process and the product. 

I encourage you to become more curious as you age. Asking questions, trying new things, and going on adventures just makes life more fun. 

Add to curiosity a little wonder and you’ve hit the jackpot. Wonder includes surprise and joy. If you can, spend time with a little one and soak in the wonder they have about life. 

Authors Magsamen and Ross remind us that, “Wonder often seeds our curiosity.”

How can you be more curious and bring wonder back into your life?

Your Brain on Art- Day 12

 “Flourishing is about living an authentic and full life.” Your Brain on Art

According to its definition, to flourish means, “to grow or develop healthily or vigorously, especially as a result of a particularly favorable environment.”

In Your Brain on Art, Magsamen and Ross use words like curious, creative, and open to describe someone who is flourishing in life. 

Unlike the expectation of perfection, flourishing doesn’t require this unrealistic goal. “Instead, this approach embraces a lifelong quest to gain insights, to grow, and to thrive.”

We will explore six categories of flourishing over the next week. They are: curiosity and wonder, awe, enriched environments, creativity, novelty, and surprise. We all can cultivate these states of mind in our lives. 

Due to the plasticity of our brains, we can actually train ourselves to flourish. Just like a muscle it gets stronger with use, and then becomes a habit. 

As I think about aging, I love the idea of flourishing rather than lingering. Last night while I babysat my three young grandsons we talked about their future and what they hoped to be doing when they were adults. My four-year-old grandson said, “Mimi what are you going to be doing when you get older?” 

I took that as an opportunity to make plans just like they were doing. They had each told me how many children they hoped to have and got a kick out of me telling them that their children would be my great-grandchildren. 

So here’s to a flourishing future!

Your Brain on Art- Day 11

 

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” Dorothea Lange

Photography has been shown to increase alpha waves in the brain. This is connected to relaxation, creativity, and memory. 

In my mid-twenties, I invested in a Canon SLR camera. It required me to set the aperture and the f-stop. I learned that I could blur the background if I used a low f-stop. I even took a photography class where I learned how to develop my own film. 

My budget only allowed me to develop one roll of film a month. So I was very discerning about what I took photos of. When my daughter began to crawl I realized a point-and-click automatic camera would capture her motions better than one whose settings had to be manually adjusted. 

After retiring from teaching I moved up to a digital Canon camera with a selection of lenses. I enjoyed photographing the cows on our farm in Wolfe City. I didn’t have to worry about settings and I could download them onto my computer. 

Fast forward sixteen years and I have been using my iPhone exclusively to take photographs. It’s just too easy and the quality is remarkable. My phone is always handy and I have the option to quickly edit any photo necessary.

I am particularly fond of photographing nature, especially wild flowers. I know enough about composition to create a pretty good photo. I also, know that sometimes you need to get up a little closer to get the best shot. 

A few years back I created an Instagram page to serve as a photo gallery. I get a lot of pleasure perusing through the photos I’ve taken over the years. 

If you are looking for an easy way to include more art in your life, I highly recommend using the camera on your phone to do so. You can check out YouTube to learn more about the techniques available on your phone and basic elements of composition.

Do you enjoy taking photos?

Your Brain on Art- Day 10

“Music is the only thing we can engage with that activates every part of the brain.” Dr. Annie Heiderscheit

I remember as a young teen falling in love with music. I spent many hours listening to my beloved 45s on the record player in my bedroom. In fact, two of my neighborhood friends and I shared our collection with each other and rotated them between the three of us. 

Carole Kings’s Tapestry was the first album I bought with my own money. For my thirteenth birthday I delved into hard rock with albums by Iron Butterfly and Led Zeppelin. It didn’t take me long to realize that Best of Bread was more my cup of tea. 

Sadly, around the early 90s music began to change and I stopped listening to it as often. Today it’s been replaced by talk radio when I’m driving in the car. 

As I began to investigate more about the brain and the arts I was curious to learn about the effects of music on the aging brain. 

I found that engagement like listening to music, singing or playing instruments all contribute to an improved quality of life. 

Music can help relaxation and improve mood. I’m looking forward to the Christmas season so I can listen and sing along to my favorite Christmas songs. I’ll probably get an early start come November. 

Playing musical instruments can improve cognitive functions. If you are adventurous you might consider investing in a keyboard and learning how to play. 

Movement, such as dancing and stretching, can be more enjoyable if done to music. Believe it or not, research has shown that music can help improve our immune system. 

Here is a list of ways to include more music in your life:

Join a church or community choir.

Participate in a karaoke night.

Make your own playlist. 

Listen to a 70s station in the car and take a walk down memory lane. 

Learn to play an instrument. 

Dance around your living room. 

Attend a concert. 

How do you incorporate music in your life?

Your Brain on Art- Day 9

 

The other day, I drove by a mural being painted on the main street of my little town. The week before, another mural depicting the town's name had been completed.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw both of these pieces of artwork. It made me realize how just observing art can make a difference in your mood. 

Also, I looked forward to observing the new mural being painted. It was much larger and I could see how the artist had sketched out the masterpiece. I found enjoyment in watching the new mural evolve. 

Several months ago, a new shop, Seasons 42, opened in the adjoining town. The outside had been painted with large, colorful flowers. Today, I find myself driving past just to enjoy the aesthetics it brings to the town square. 

I feel this same way about architecture. Two favorite houses in my town sit across from each other. One is a Craftsman style and the other is a stone house, popular from the 1930s. I play a little game where I try to decide which house I would live in. Up to this point I’ve been unable to make up my mind. I love them both. 

Another type of architecture that brings me enjoyment are old, Catholic Churches and cathedrals. I’ve never been to Rome, but I can only imagine how breathtaking the Sistine Chapel must be. 

If you need a little pick-me-up drive around a historic neighborhood in your area. Take the time to breathe in the beauty.  This is another way to experience an aesthetic mindset. 

“Architecture is inhabited sculpture.”

Constantin Brancusi

Your Brain on Art- Day 8

 

Julia Cameron, in her book The Artist’s Way encourages taking time out from your week to spend on an Artist’s Date. These simple excursions or experiences are all ways to peak your curiosity and creativity. I’ve collected a series of Artist Dates that I’ve found on Pinterest for you to try.  

Let me know how it goes if you choose to do one or more. 

Artist Date Ideas

Explore a college campus-art museum, library, and photo opportunities 

Scour an art museum- larger metroplex museums have art exhibits of famous artists 

Visit an antique store

Complete a walking trail-take plenty of photos

Mini-retreat at home- Check Pinterest for ideas

Schedule a mini-road trip

Go tech-free for a day- read, draw, bake, art project

Visit an art supply store- Hobby Lobby, Michael’s

Spend some time outdoors- journey or sketch

Go for a walk in your town- document your experience through photos

Stop by the library 

Watch an Oscar-nominated movie or a classic movie

Grab a stack of magazines and create an inspiration board

Support the local arts scene- festival, music event, art show, play, museum exhibit

Plant something- flowers, herbs, micro-greens

Visit a thrift store with a $5.00 budget to find something to create with 

Spend an afternoon perusing through your own personal library

Write a letter in longhand on pretty stationery to a friend

Go sit by a pond with your journal or sketchbook

Sit on your porch swing

Send a care package to your best friend or family member. Take time and care to put loving thoughtful things into it

Choose a fantasy mentor- read their books, watch their videos, learn about their life as an artist, let them inspire you

Go cloud watching

Spend time browsing Etsy or Pinterest

Take yourself on a culinary artist date and try a new cuisine

Write a poem-haiku 

Write a letter to the person you plan to be in ten years

Check a book out from the library on a topic you are unfamiliar with

Go to an estate sale or yard sale

Make a list of 100 things that make you happy

Find a new blog to follow

Color a Mandela

Make a Bucket List

Lie in a hammock

Read a children’s book

Read poetry out loud to yourself

Visit a garden center

Drive aimlessly

Give yourself $5.00 to spend on an art project from the dollar store

Walk through a historical part of your town. Don’t forget to take pictures

Picnic in the park

Read an old journal of yours

Watch a documentary of your favorite artist

Finger paint

Buy a box of 64 crayons and a coloring book

Visit an old cemetery

Play at the park

Be a tourist in your own town

Visit a pet store

Try your hand at a new kind of art- YouTube

Visit a local farmer’s market

Spend a couple of hours at a local coffee shop

Visit a second-hand bookstore

Write down 10 things you’d like to experience before your next birthday

Have a paint and sip night-YouTube

Listen to a favorite album

Watch a TED Talk

Go through old photos 

Paint Rocks

Start a journal of favorite quotes

Hone your photography skills

Create a bullet journal

Start a blog

Live like a fictional character

Stretch or try yoga or tai chi

Visit a State Park

Stargaze with a telescope

Create an Ideas journal

Spend time around the fire pit- make s’mores 

Watch a sunrise or sunset

Walk barefoot in the grass

Try a new cafe

Read an inspirational book

Dance in the rain

Visit a new library or independent bookstore

Learn hand-lettering

Sit on the porch while it rains

Do a directed drawing on YouTube