Brain Functioning

The moment we learn or engage in something, we change our brains (Carlson & Zelazo, 2023)

Executive Function Brain Structures

It is evident that both top-down and bottom-up controls are at play during acts of art and creativity (Beaty et al., 2014). Top-down processing refers to how the brain make sense and use of the sensory information brought into the brain and using previous experiences (https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-top-down-processing-2795975), while bottom-down processing refers to immediate reactions to external stimuli (https://www.verywellmind.com/bottom-up-processing-and-perception-4584296). Highly creative people tend to have greater control over top-down processes (Beaty et al., 2014).

Other areas involved in the visual arts is an increase in grey matter density in the left anterior cerebellum and right medial frontal gyrus (Kaimal et al., 2017). Arts engage the whole brain and shape who we are as individuals through the experiences (Anderson, 2018).

EF processes also require activation of the ventromedial regions of the PFC, including orbitofrontal cortex, the rostrolateral region, and subcortical structures like the basal ganglia (Perone et al., 2018; Zelazo et al., 2016). Dopamine and norepinephrine signal engagement of the PFC, feeding back to the limbic system and brainstem (Kolb et al., 2019; Zelazo et al., 2016).

References

Andersen, P. N., Klausen, M. E., & Skogli, E. W. (2019). Art of learning – an Art-Based intervention aimed at improving children’s executive functions. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01769
Beaty, R. E., Holling, H., Silvia, P. J., & Schacter, D. L. (2016). Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(2), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2015.10.004
Carlson, M., & Zelazo, D. (2023). Reflection, executive function, and the developing brain [Keynote Address]. Learning and the Brain, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Cherry, K. (2020, October 18). What is top-down processing? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-top-down-processing-2795975
Cherry, K. (2023, March 6). How bottom-up processing works. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/bottom-up-processing-and-perception-4584296
Eisner, E. W. (2003). The arts and the creation of mind. Choice Reviews Online, 40(08), 40–4405. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.40-4405
Kaimal, G., Ayaz, H., Herres, J., Dieterich-Hartwell, R., Makwana, B., Kaiser, D. H., & Nasser, J. A. (2017). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy assessment of reward perception based on visual self-expression: Coloring, doodling, and free drawing. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 55, 85–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.05.004
Kolb, B., Whishaw, I. Q., & Teskey, C. G. (2019). An introduction to brain and behavior (Sixth). Worth Publishers.
McArdle, F. (2008). The arts and staying cool. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 9(4), 365–374. https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2008.9.4.365
Smithrim, K., & Upitis, R. (2005). Learning through the arts: Lessons of engagement. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue Canadienne De L’éducation, 28(1/2), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.2307/1602156
Zelazo, P. D., Blair, C., & Willoughby, M. T. (2016). Executive function: Implications for education. NCER 2017-2000. National Center for Education Research. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED570880.pdf