Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
Beauty in the Ordinary—what's that about?
“Wonder is a complex feeling that creates a heightened state of consciousness and emotion. It's akin to curiosity, but it's more expansive in scope and contains attributes of surprise and joy. It has been defined in scientific literature as our innate desire to understand the world, which simmers inside each of us waiting to be ignited. Wonder often seeds our curiosity.
According to wonder researchers, beauty is primarily what triggers it. The field of neuroaesthetics began with efforts to try to understand the neurobiology of beauty. Semir Zeki began his investigations with beauty precisely because he wanted to better understand the brain-based explanation for what we find beautiful. He learned that there are some universal phenomena that we find beautiful—a sunset, for instance. But a global definition for what is beautiful and what is not is elusive because of what we explained early on about your brain and the default mode network: so much of what we register as beautiful is personal. There is still debate in the field about whether or not there is a central location for beauty in the brain.
The arts, which frequently contain the beautiful and the unexpected, are excellent facilitators of wonder. You are struck by something, and this astonishment becomes fertile ground. Wonder snaps you to attention and is one of the most effective ways to spark curiosity. …
A 2017 study published by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Lifespan Psychology, used a technology called infrared spectroscopy to collect neurobiological data on people walking or sitting in a forest and paying attention to what's around them. They found that this simple act induces relaxation. When we relax, endorphins flood our body, blood flow increases, and our heart rate calms, which all support clearer thinking. True relaxation has been likened to a form of mild ecstasy in that it can signal to our frontal lobes a state of blissful sedation.”
You might wonder what the tagline of my website, Beauty in the Ordinary, means exactly? It is a simple phrase that poses the question: What would it mean to see beauty in our ordinary surroundings? We are acculturated to thinking of beauty as something unusual, rare, or special. And we when we witness beauty, we typically find it to be a pleasant and enjoyable experience, and worth pursuing to bring in more joy and something that happens only in random moments. The question, though, is: Do we really have to pursue it or wait for a longed-for vacation to the beach or exotic destination, or is a joyful experience of beauty a state of mind that we can enter at any given moment in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves?
This wonderful book, Your Brain on Art, explores the nature of art and beauty. What does art really do for us? In our consumer-oriented culture, it is often thought of as an unnecessary addition to our lives, something to be possessed or collected by the ultra-wealthy few. While it may be true that art is not essential for daily living, a more important question might be to ask is our well-being essential? As the authors describe in this book, research shows that when we experience beauty, it has marked physiological effects:
“neurobiological data on people walking or sitting in a forest and paying attention to what's around them… found that this simple act induces relaxation. When we relax, endorphins flood our body, blood flow increases, and our heart rate calms, which all support clearer thinking. True relaxation has been likened to a form of mild ecstasy in that it can signal to our frontal lobes a state of blissful sedation.”
Learning to practice perceiving beauty in any setting is a possibility that can benefit us, especially in times of challenge. During our day, taking a look around to see the surroundings in an artful way, can lead us into a state of experiencing beauty, giving us moments of relief from whatever stress we may be experiencing at that moment.
Are there practices that can aid us in being present to beauty in the ordinary? Yes! Learning how to pause with the intention of looking with a refreshed perspective, is what we will be exploring in my art coaching sessions. Through specific exercises and practices, you will relearn how to see the world as you did when you first entered into it. These practical exercises can benefit you whether you are an artist searching for material for your next creative work or you simply want to see things in a more joyful way. You may find these coaching sessions are what you have been wanting: re-experiencing the wonder of being alive!
Art coaching sessions online available soon. Stay tuned…