Your Brain on Art-Day 3

 

Did you know according to Your Brain on Art, “Arts and aesthetics can literally rewire your brain. They are the secret sauce that helps build new synaptic connections.”

Spending an hour at the gym or eating a plate of kale may be ways to stay healthy. However,  spending an afternoon at an art gallery or attending a concert in the park might be more fun. 

Your brain uses neuroplasticity (where one cell sends a signal to the next) like a gardener uses shears to prune away dead limbs. By doing so the brain builds stronger synapses and removes weaker connections. 

The environment is the key, here. As it changes, opportunities arise for the neural circuits in your brain to change. That’s why an enriched environment is so much better for your brain. 

In fact, Magsamen and Ross state, “Our environment has the potential to dramatically alter the brain-for better or worse.”

Not only does an enriched environment work in our favor, but an impoverished environment has been shown to cause, “a slow, corrosive effect on health and well-being.”

I can’t help but wonder about the trend of minimalism and a neutral palette. Have we altered our environment in such a way that it may be affecting our well-being?

I’m noticing a new trend, full of color and curated stuff, that is hitting my Instagram feed. Generation Z is embracing a cozy cottage vibe, and are raiding their grandmother’s hutch cabinet for treasures. In a recent visit to a local antique shop, the owner shared with me that two college girls had just left looking for stuff to decorate their dorm room. 

Give some thought to the environment you surround yourself with each day. Does it “Spark Joy” as Marie Kondo likes to say? If not, what could you do to make a few changes?

Your Brain on Art-Day 2

 “Art is the essence of awareness” Irish poet John O’Donohue

According to Your Brain on Art, people with an Aesthetic Mindset, have these attributes in common:

They possess a high level of curiosity. They love play and exploration. They have an eye for detail and enjoy creative activities.

I remember when I used to write blog posts daily. I found myself always on the lookout for interesting topics. It actually became quite fun as I challenged myself to look at the ordinary in a new light. 

Magsamen and Ross believe that, “Being in the aesthetic mindset is being present and attuned to the environment you are in.” 

Research shows that we are actually wired for the arts. All five senses work together as the foundation and contribute to health and wellness. 

Without going into the scientific workings of the brain, it’s amazing how it is designed to work in tandem with the environment it encounters. 

Perhaps, the most interesting feature is your brain’s use of neuroplasticity. Merriam-Webster defines this as “the capacity of the brain to develop and change throughout life.”

As we age, knowing that our brains can still be active and open to new learning is exciting. The arts are a fun and interesting way to take advantage of our brain's ability to do this. 

Your Brain on Art-Day 1

 

The idea for this 31 Day series came from the book Your Brain on Art -How the Arts Transform Us, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross.

To be honest, the book ended up being a little too scientific and serious for my tastes, but it did get me thinking.

At the beginning of the book is a quiz about the impact of art on your life. I scored pitifully low and was quite surprised. I thought I was all about creativity and art, but I learned I may have talked the talk, but really didn’t walk the walk. 

Magsamen and Ross define the arts as an Aesthetic Mindset:

How you are aware of the arts and aesthetics around you, and how you bring them into your life with purpose. 

Now why would this even be important? Well, just like the thirty-one-day challenge I did on curiosity in 2023, I discovered that the arts can actually contribute to a better quality of life, especially as we age. 

So I’m hoping you’ll follow along this month as we explore how you can incorporate more of the arts in your life. Hopefully, I may be able to score a little bit higher on the quiz. 

Retirement

Today is officially the first day of Chuck’s retirement. On Monday he was honored at work with a celebration of friends, family, and co-workers. The week before he attended a special luncheon in his honor. 

I attended both and was proud to be his wife. It was obvious that he was highly regarded by his co-workers and was going to be missed. 

Chuck had devoted forty-six years to his company and had started his first job there at TP&L in the mailroom. Over the years he was a storekeeper at the Collin plant, worked in Accounting, did graphic design for the company, ran the print shop, and was a Facilities Superintendent in charge of copiers, vehicles, and investment recovery. He also worked closely with the print department. 

He saw the company change names over the years from TP&L to TXU to Energy Future Holdings and eventually to Vistra. 

I made Chuck a countdown chain, in typical elementary school teacher fashion, to help keep up with the days he had left to work. I encouraged him to make a list of fond memories from over the years. He came up with the idea to write them down on each link of the chain as he removed them. 

He shared several of these at his retirement party and had the crowd roaring. He might start a second career in stand-up comedy. His co-workers shared many wonderful stories of their time together. 

A great time was had by all, and it was especially nice to have Will, Brittany, and the boys there to share in the celebration. 

Now that he is retired, you might wonder what his plans are. He’s considering taking some art classes at Tarleton, has plenty of projects he’s been wanting to do at the Rocking H, has plans to raise sheep, can now attend a morning Bible Study, and looks forward to traveling. 

He plans on taking the next few months off and easing into the whole retirement gig. Although, he did make a trip to Granbury today to pick up something for the ranch. We were able to go together and stopped off at Cane’s Chicken for lunch. It was a fun day. 

I’m very excited for him as he enters this next season of life and I wish him all the best!

Writing Seminar

 

Today I was fortunate to participate in a writing class sponsored by the Writers’ League of Texas. This organization works in conjunction with rural libraries and presents free writing classes. 

Today’s class was taught by authors Stacey Swann and Sarah Kocek. We learned more about using Flash Fiction as a way to jump-start creativity. We also learned the dos and don'ts of dialogue. 

I came away with lots of good ideas and had a chance to meet some local writers, both aspiring and published. 

The Comanche librarian let us know that she was hoping to schedule another session at the De Leon Library soon. 

I’m really enjoying this writing life. 

Coffee Shop Writer

I've started something new with my writing. Last week I had an appointment at Toyota to get my car’s oil changed and tires rotated. I knew I would probably be there at least an hour so I decided to bring my iPad along. 

I've gotten in the habit of writing a chapter a week on my novel. Thursday is dedicated to writing the rough draft, and because I needed to grocery shop after the appointment, I decided to try writing at Toyota. 

It worked beautifully.  So on Tuesday of this week when I accompanied Chuck to town to have breakfast with my sister, I decided to try it again. 

This time I spent about an hour and a half at the Grapevine Public Library.  I was able to get a head start on the next chapter because I knew on Thursday I'd be grocery shopping and doing laundry. Along with getting my rough draft written, I enjoyed the atmosphere of their library. 

I have missed hanging out at a big, beautiful library since moving to the country. I stopped to chat with one of the librarians and reminded her not to take her library for granted. 

This Thursday I decided to stop by a coffee shop and write for about an hour before running my errands. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and began editing the chapter I had written on Tuesday. 

Next Thursday I've got another cool place in mind to do my writing. 

Along with writing in different places, I enjoy writing outside when the weather is cooperative. This summer when the boys were at VBS, I sat on the front porch at my daughter’s to write. 

I’m going to challenge myself to look for new and unique places to write going forward. 

Writer

 So what have I been doing lately?

Writing a novel. 

Back in the spring a friend from high school asked me to join her writer’s group. At the time I was reading a book entitled, What to do With the Rest of Your Life. What were the chances at that exact moment that I would get a text out of the blue from her?  Considering the serendipity of the moment I couldn’t turn her down. 

I had already written a children’s chapter book back in 2019. It had metaphorically sat on the shelf for all these years. I thought the story had promise, but quickly learned how to make it even better. 

I brought a chapter for critique each week. I was amazed at how much I was learning. My usual hesitancy for criticism was no longer standing in the way. I wanted to be a better writer, and the group members guided me along the way. 

I knew after finishing the last chapter of Abby and the Bearded Dragon I needed to consider my next book. I had already accumulated several possibilities over the years. 

I found that I was good at starting a story, but not so much at developing and ending one. After discussing a few options one of my ideas sounded interesting to the group. 

It was then that I began writing an adult novel that was based on a true event in Texas history. I had first considered the possibility almost ten years ago, but I really didn't know how to develop the plot. 

After joining this group I’ve learned so much and am continuing to grow each week. What I especially love about being a part of this writing group is the accountability it brings me. 

I’ve established a weekly writing routine, and am focusing on a chapter a week. I’ve been amazed at how the ideas have just flown one after another.

I keep notes on my phone and any time inspiration hits I jot it down. Since my novel is based on a historical time period I am taking advantage of the wonders of the internet and AI to check my facts. 

I have reflected on the idea that if I had started this story ten years ago I would have spent hours in the library poring over books looking for one thing at a time. Having access to information at my fingertips has allowed me to stay motivated. 

I’ve recently added Grammarly to the mix which is helping me address my grammatical errors, which is my weakness. I minored in history, not English, so I’m pretty clueless about correct comma usage. 

This is an exciting season in my life, and each week I look forward to bringing my writing forward for critique. The group has steered me in the right direction as I work to improve my writing. 

Wish me luck, and hopefully some day my novel will be published and available to those who are interested in reading it. 

Learn From Your Successes

I remember one of my favorite Weight Watchers leaders encouraging us to not only learn from our failures, but from our successes as well.

This past February I signed up for an Empower Wellness Program at Comanche County Medical Center. It met once a week on Tuesday from 4:00-5:00 at the hospital cafeteria. 

The previous May at my yearly check-up my doctor had shared with me that if I continued down the same path I’d probably end up with Type 2 diabetes.

I knew I needed to take this seriously, but I still struggled to make any real changes. I had learned about this wellness class the year before and had actually reached out to get more information. Sadly, though I never signed up. 

The next year I saw the class advertised again on Facebook and, decided to give it a try. 

What I’ve realized from my past successes is that I do better in a group setting with some sort of accountability. Since moving here four years ago I found the one Weight Watchers meeting offered in Stephenville didn’t work with my schedule. 

However, the Tuesday afternoon time slot at the hospital worked perfectly for me. 

The first thing we focused on in class was activity. Not two hours at the gym every day, but rather ways to up the ante when it comes to daily movement. 

Ruth, our leader, made activity fun by leading us through very simple exercises to music. She always kept us laughing. 

We were encouraged to set a small goal to increase our activity. I began with walking 30 minutes three days a week while I was babysitting my grandson. 

It wasn’t long before three days turned into five. 

I also bought a new Fitbit to track my steps. I set a reasonable goal of 8,000 steps a day and pushed myself to reach that number daily. 

Along with activity, we also learned more about making better food choices. Each week in class we got to sample a healthy snack and leave with a recipe in hand. 

We were encouraged to track our food intake and were given options as to how to do this. 

On the first of April, as I was walking on my porch, I listened to a podcast about sugar, and its somewhat addictive qualities. I was convinced that I could not stop eating added sugar. 

However, at the end of the podcast, I decided to give it a try and go one day without added sugar. What I had learned from a past success was that abstaining is easier for me than moderation. 

When I made it past the first day I decided to keep going. 

One day without sugar became two, and two became a week. Before I knew it I had gone a whole month without added sugar. Now it’s been almost four months.

I used to think I was “addicted” to sugar, but remarkably I had no withdrawal symptoms when I stopped eating it. No headaches, no cravings, no mood changes. 

What I did find was that after a short period of time, I really didn’t want it. 

I  allowed myself dessert on special occasions like my birthday or a holiday. To be honest, what I used to love just tasted okay. I was beginning to crave a juicy peach with a spray of whipped cream or a sweet mandarin orange instead. 

From April to mid-July the pounds started to come off. These were the pounds I had carried for the last few years that I couldn’t seem to lose. 

At my next check-up in May my blood work numbers were so much better. I’m convinced removing the added sugar allowed my body to work more efficiently, and along with healthier food choices made the difference. 

 I began making simple changes in my diet, and it wasn’t too long after that that my palate readjusted to wanting real food.

Each week I look forward to my class. I get to meet with a group of friendly, supportive people, and a devoted coach and teacher who is constantly encouraging us.  

I’ve also learned from my past successes not to fall into the trap of “all or nothing thinking.” Our class encourages us to have the right mindset. I don’t want to let a small slip-up derail the progress I’ve made. 

Today, I’m feeling so much better about myself and my health. I like the way I look and my clothes are fitting better. I am looking forward to another six months of fun and learning, and am grateful for this program offered by our local hospital. But most of all if I can prevent Type 2 diabetes it will be more than worth it.