Insights Archives - Art Always

The Relationship Between Art and Psychology: Creation and Well-Being

greenpointgal on January 14, 2025

The relationship between art and psychology is a topic that has been researched for thousands of years dating back to Plato and Aristotle.

Although Plato may have considered art to be nothing more than an act of imitation, Aristotle saw art as a way to represent the internal significance of things, not just their outward appearance.

As the years went on, this internal significance began to branch out, now taking into consideration the expression of the artist’s emotions. And today, art continues to change and evolve, becoming a new form of communication.

A way to link minds together when words fail and help us perceive both ourselves and the world around us.

Artistic Sensations

So, it’s safe to say that art does have an impact on our minds, but what exactly does that mean?

The answer to that lies within the science of neuroaesthetics: how our brains respond to aesthetic and artistic experiences.

In short, there is a physical neurochemical exchange happening within us whenever we view or create art.

Those chemicals blossom into the pleasure senses of our brains creating the same sense of satisfaction you would get after a good meal or a night spent with your lover. Definitely a sensation you would want to experience again and again.

The Components of Aesthetics

But experiencing art does not just give us that warm, good feeling.

There are three neural systems that activate upon viewing art known as the aesthetic triad. The components of this triad include sensory-motor, knowledge meaning and emotional valuation.

The sensory-motor aspect is our natural reaction to objects we recognize and how they’re used.

For example, a painting of an apple tree would remind us of the sensory experience of plucking an apple from a tree to eat. Of course, we’re not going to reach out and try to eat a painting but the sensory information is projected in our minds.

Knowledge meaning establishes the understanding that our experience depends on the context and content present within the experience.

Take the Mona Lisa, for instance. At its base form, it’s a portrait of a beautiful woman. But with one’s knowledge of facial expressions, the painting takes on a quality unique to the person who’s viewing it. Is that a sad kind of smile that she has? Do her eyes seem to be mocking you as you look into them?

People can view the same piece of artwork and have vastly different perceptions of it, due to their own personal knowledge and experiences.

Lastly, there is the component of emotional valuation.

This component contains our emotional response to an art piece whether that be anger, fear, elation, or awe.

Awe is certainly a response to gazing upon the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. This cathedral took hundreds of years to build and is considered a world heritage site for obvious reasons. Every surface of the building is covered in carvings of biblical figures and ornate designs. The insider is adorned with high ceilings and peppered with stain glass art detailing the story of Jesus Christ. This place was meant to make you feel small in the sheer magnificence of the Lord and it succeeds.

With this emotion valuation, sensory-motor and knowledge meaning combined, it highlights just how complex our response to art is.

Benefits Through Creation

We know the benefits of viewing art, but what about making it?

The creation of art also has been proven to improve our cognitive functions such as problem solving and innovation.

What lines do I have to make with this pencil in order to form a face? How do I show dimensions on a flat surface?

Look at the art of animation, for instance.

How do I make these pictures appear to show movement? How do I make a cartoon that appeals to both children and their parents?

All of these questions keep our minds in motion and lead us on to newly formed pathways of innovation.

In that respect, art can be seen as a way to keep our brains in top shape.

The Art of Catharsis

With humanity being a race that is so deeply ingrained with our emotions, it stands to reason that we would greatly benefit from activities that help regulate those emotions.

Aristotle once called this, catharsis.

Through catharsis we can purge ourselves of our negative thoughts and empower our positive thoughts by expressing them.

Expressing grief is just as important as expressing joy and the arts are a way to express both and more.

A painting of a mother weeping. A sculpture of a loyal dog. A poem about true love. A dance choreographed to celebrate the weather. A play made to tell the story of a historical figure.

All of the arts bring out all of our humanity.

And all of the arts show how intimate the relationship between art and psychology truly is.

A World Without Art

So, what would we be without art? Picture yourself waking up to start your day.

You dress yourself in the same clothes as everyone else. Your outfit only serves to cover you, nothing more.

You eat a breakfast that only tends to your nutritional needs instead of flavor, inside a home that only has what you need to function, no decor.

You drive to work in silence for there is no music on the radio. The job market has been reduced to only the practical and analytical professions: growing food, selling that food, providing healthcare, manufacturing household appliances and money management.

You talk to your coworkers like robots since there’s no need for overly flowery language.

Even your forms of entertainment have also been severely limited. No movies or shows. No plays or dances.

Your children's toys would be muted, since there’s no reason for anything that promotes creativity. No crayons. No playdoh. No dress up dolls.

It’s crazy to see just how deeply intwined art is in our daily lives. In its absence, art leaves us with nothing but a quiet, stifled existence that fails in its attempts to be human.

A Future We Can Express

The relationship between art and psychology can be seen as two perfectly placed pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.

We are never truly complete without it.

It can be as deep and complex as we want it to be. Some people consider making art a pathway into the transcendence.

A way to link together mind, body and soul.

And some people just think, “Hey, that painting would look nice in my living room.” Both are equally valid responses to art.

It should give us a sense of wonder and pride that we have managed to make something that is both ethereal and commonplace within our society.

As we continue to grow and evolve as a species, so too will our artistic capabilities. It will be a joy to see how far our minds can take us.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroesthetics#:~:text=Neuroaesthetics%20is%20a%20field%20of,The%20recently%20developed%20field%20seeks

https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/what-is-art

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61372/how-arts-education-builds-better-brains-and-better-lives

Is Artistic Ability Genetic? Or is it a Trauma Response?

greenpointgal on January 10, 2025

Great philosophers often ask the question “What came first? The chicken or the egg?” Which quite often leads to an unending spiral of hypotheses with no real answers.

So it got me thinking about artists and where their hidden ‘talents’ come from.

Is artistic ability genetic? Or is it more of a response to something else.

Roughly ten years ago, it was estimated that about 17% of people around the world actively exercised ‘creation’ in their daily lives. This figure had been comprised from working citizens categorized as ‘artists’ as the primary occupation(1), mixed with sources such as university student registries, and polls that ask the question “Do you identify as an artist?”(2)

Today, that figure, I believe, is still around the 20% mark, of worldwide citizens.

Just to make sure we are clear, that means 1 out of every 5 people ‘gravitate’ towards ‘art’ - music, painting, creation.

Many of these people will wonder where these talents come from - the classic ‘nature versus nurture’ debate.

Artists may spend years of family tree tracing to draw a definitive correlation to genetics being the sole reason for their talents but come up empty.

While yes, some sources will argue you that genetics play a heavy role - but read carefully. Many of those sources will site ‘structural cell changes’ and ‘mental disorders’ as a reason for ‘artistic genius’. However, it seems the scientific and medical communities are also still debating ‘nature vs nurture’ in those respective areas as well.

HOWEVER, it is becoming widely accepted that there is a direct correlation between art and trauma, and creation as a traumatic response.

People around the world are coming forward with the admission that ‘art as successfully helped them heal’. (4)

In 2025, the amount of Google Search Queries for ‘art therapy’ is on the rise again. ‘Art Therapy’ rose to new heights within the United States just after the 911 Tragedy - based on the ‘need for healing’.(5)

Current statistical data reveals that art does scientifically heal mental anguish.

With that said, that just begs to ask the question:

“Do artists create art innately to heal themselves in the first place?”