THE IMPACT OF ART, MUSIC IN HUMAN MIND | Stephen Wise

 

The subject matter is a very interesting and influential one. Art, and the human mind. Ever since I begin my intellectual grooming I have come to realize that music, creativity, painting, drawing, (Art), etc. have become a thing that human beings can’t deal with in everyday life. Whatever you do, and wherever you are, you see art confronting you. Art in religion, politics, and art in education. It is an indisputable fact that art is everywhere, influencing us on a daily basis whether we realize it or not. And this is the very reason why art is important in human minds. Being surrounded by art could have a very good impact on our moods and emotions. This article will not only stop at defining art, but it will also go extra paragraph in discussing art and human form, perceptions in art, how art affects and influences our lives. The writer will also go further highlighting the importance of art in the human mind.

 EXPLANATION OF SOME CONCEPTS AND IDEAS

Art: What is Art? It is the making or doing something whose aim is to bring pleasure to people through their enjoyment of what is beautiful and interesting, or things often made for this purposes such as painting, drawing, music, making of images that are beautiful and express feelings.

Art and human form: In aesthetics, the human figure or human form in art, sculpture, and other art forms involves a study and appreciation of the beauty of the human body in its depiction or presentation. … Emmanuel Kant refers to the human figure as the ideal of beauty. The human figure conforms very well to the law that states that form follows function, which is believed to be a result of evolution over thousands of generations. The human figure is a common aspect of visual arts.

Perceptions in Art: Perception in art stands for a complex relationship between visual stimuli and a personal understanding of them. It is a theoretical postulate that aims to clarify the relation between artworks and individual opinions and evaluations. Far from being a universally established matrix of understanding art, perception is conditioned by a context from which observation and evaluation are made. Instead of general models of understanding, it is conditioned by numerous factors, including political, social, cultural, gender, and racial. It affects how we see art and what meanings we attribute to it, but is also an active factor in artistic creation. It would be hard to make assertions about the meaning of art without the previously established notions of value that come from multifaceted perceptual conditionings. The views of both an artist and an observer contribute to the understanding of art, and the first is not distinguished in its importance from the second.

THE IMPERATIVE QUESTION

does art affect the mind, does it influence human life? The answer is yes.

Art has an impact on brain wave patterns and emotions, the nervous system, and can actually raise serotonin levels. ... Research has proven that arts develop neural systems that produce a broad spectrum of benefits ranging from fine motor skills to creativity and improved emotional balance.

Early in this piece, I said that whether we realize it or not, Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values, and translating experiences across space and time. Research has shown that art affects the fundamental sense of self. Painting, sculpture, music, literature, and the other arts are often considered to be the repository of a society's collective memory. Now let’s look into art, its impact on our minds.

IMPACT OF ART ON THE HUMAN MIND:

In all my experiences as a life coach, I assert that as long as art existed, we have been attracted by and fascinated by it. Art affects society by its power to change opinions and translate human experiences. It is a repository of our collective memory. But the effects that art has on the mind and brain that truly deserve admiration cannot be overemphasized.

1. Art therapy is one of the newer technologies in the tool kit of psychiatric treatment; some call it ‘person-centered’. The essence of art is its perceptibly imaginary nature, which reflects actual experiences, feelings, and sentiments. And the mind is the target behind the idea of art as therapy, the same art can purify our sensual world through an artistic catharsis-on-canvas which could even ‘correct’ some of our psychological dispositions

When psychiatrists and psychologists found that those with mental health issues often express their emotions through art and drawings, such therapies started evolving into healing strategies. Today they are even used in mental health assessments of trauma survivors and victims of abuse.

When mental illness and its treatment face considerable stigma in society and when only a small percentage of the population that would benefit from treatment actually receive it, it is unwise to ignore the therapeutic value of art, especially when there are those who do not wish to take medicines although they may benefit from them.

 Essential in less privileged Children: Art therapy has also been used to awaken the senses of underprivileged children through both the viewing and creating of art. According to research compiled and analyzed by Christina Pili, the experiences that disadvantaged children are often exposed to can create deep issues in regards to their motor, social and cognitive abilities. With these types of issues many children begin to develop nervousness, anxiety, sleeping excessive or too little, and a lack of verbal, social, and language skills. Music, dance, painting, and other forms of art have been shown to have an incredibly significant and positive effect on children who come from disadvantaged homes and have been exhibiting delayed behaviors in these areas.

By awakening the senses through experimentation with the different types of art these children are experiencing, they are able to see increased abilities in their cognitive, motor,, and social skills. These are invaluable skills that are important to their overall quality of life.

3. Nostalgic Moods: Emotions and feelings surrounding past events can be easily conjured up through the study of Pop art. Pop art is specifically tied to nostalgic thoughts since many of these works utilize old comics, food wrappers, advertisements, and other types of found art that people may recognize from past events in their lives. Many of the most famous pieces in the Pop art movement have utilized popular advertisements that could be easily tied to past memories.

Utilizing Pop art to delve into past memories can be very therapeutic for many different reasons. For example, if someone is dealing with childhood trauma, memories from childhood can help them figure out exactly what happened and how to move past it. Through art pieces that they can associate with their past, the memories will come more freely since they are not elicited by direct objects, but indirect thought instead. Clearly, art therapy can work in regards to bringing back past memories. Pop art is not the only type of art that can be used to help stimulate areas of the brain and help in the process of resolving issues.

4. Art makes the Brain Feels Rewarded: According to a 2010 study conducted by researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine, viewing paintings as opposed to photographs of similar objects evoked more of a sense of reward within the brain. Participants in the study were shown pieces from different artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso, and then they were shown photographs that depicted very similar objects. When they studied the brains of the participants through imaging technology, the ventral striatum, which is part of the reward system, became more strongly activated when the participant saw a painting rather than a photograph of a similar object. This area of the brain is typically tied to different types of addiction, especially gambling. With the power of art being able to affect the reward system in such a powerful way, it begs the question as to whether certain types of art may be able to help stimulate the brain in a way that helps with addictive behavior.

5. Improved Productivity and Creativity: The corporate world will boom better if incorporated into the art. Today, business owners are beginning to understand that displaying artwork in the workplace does more than making the office more aesthetically pleasing or impressing visitors and potential clients. In fact, it can do more benefit for the company than imagined. Being surrounded by artworks and creative vibes actually increase an employee’s efficiency, productivity, and creativity.

 6. Improves the social brain: Today, hotels are more than just buildings with rooms and beds; they slowly evolve into space for arts to be filled with paintings, sculptures, and other artworks as décor. Hoteliers are thinking even farther outside the frame, installing art in the most unexpected of ways and challenging guests to think more deeply about their experience. Art has become a fundamental, rather than an ornamental, element of hotel design.

7. Child development: on the area of child development, art plays a role very important role Creating art expands a child's ability to interact with the world around them, and provides a new set of skills for self-expression and communication. Not only does art help to develop the right side of the brain, but it also cultivates important skills that benefit a child's development.

Art helps children in developing communication Skills: When a child draws a picture, paints a portrait, or hangs buttons from a wobbly mobile, that child is beginning to communicate visually. A child may draw to document an actual experience like playing in the park, release feelings of joy by painting swirling colors or share an emotionally charged experience like the passing of a loved one through art. Art goes beyond verbal language to communicate feelings that might not otherwise be expressed.

Conclusion

As I said in the introduction, ever since I begin my intellectual grooming I have come to realize that music, creativity, painting, drawing, (Art), etc. have become a thing that humans can’t deal without in their daily lives. More than making you feel happy, relaxed, thinking, or calm, differently-themed artworks can do wonders for your mental health and overall disposition and well-being. If you think art is used in spaces as just fillers and decorations, you might be surprised that it’s a lot more than that. In fact, many studies have proven the correlation of the impacts of artworks and their effects on productivity, relaxation, de-stressing, and even healing from health issues.