Artists’ Brains Are Structured Differently
Artists are often said to have a good eye for color and form, but a recent study says it’s really all in the brain. According to researchers, the brains of those who can draw and manipulate images are structured differently.
It comes down to neural matter, and some people have more of it. Artists were found to have a greater concentration of it in the areas relating to fine motor skills and visual imagery.
In establishing these results, the scientists took brain scans of 21 artists and 23 non-artists. Comparisons showed significantly more grey matter in the section of the parietal lobe called the precuneus.
Said one of the study’s authors, “This region is involved in a range of functions but potentially in things that could be linked to creativity, like visual imagery – being able to manipulate visual images in your brain, combine them and deconstruct them.”
This isn’t to say that to have talent one needs to be born with it. The line between nature and nurture remains fuzzy, and the researchers believe that upbringing and training are also important influences on ability. To better understand the balance, more research is needed.
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