For thousands of years, humans have created artworks that have lasted throughout the ages.

These masterpieces imparted timeless, ancient knowledge and cultural senses to the causal viewer, transforming a clueless person into a profound thinker. While such influential and monumental artworks exist in very small numbers, almost every artwork created or performed can nevertheless have an impact on daily lives.

Producing art, whether it is the stereotypical paintings or the uncommon traditional rain dances, as a recreation or a hobby, is shown to be a powerful combatant against stress and anxiety and a valuable aid for reinforcing creative thinking, cognitive processes, and general positive moods. By simply starting from scratch and bringing an idea to life, regardless of how “terrible” it may look, the artist will eventually enter a state of trance.

In this trance state or state of flow, the artist will be distracted and turned his/her attention to the present moment, and temporarily forget about the tensions and stress of daily life. It is true that a brushstroke or a footstep may seem insignificant, but these minor things promotes creative thinking within the brain, allowing the brain cells to connect and strengthen the previous connections with other brain cells.

It is suggested that intelligence depends on the number of connections of the brain cells, not the sheer size of the brain. Through these connections, the artist is unconsciously improving the brain’s capacity to think more and increasing the occurrence of positive emotions.

As Michelangelo said: “A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.”

<Bryan Denq Van Nuys HS 11th Grade>