How Creativity Supports Brain Health - and why aI is so bad for it

I often find myself fascinated with the mechanics of the human brain and why it does the things it does. It is the tool that allows us to experience life fully, and what people decide to do with this fascinating organ can influence how well it functions. Though the brain is not a muscle, using different skills can improve what we call neuroplasticity, which is similar to a mental muscle in that it can become stronger. Neuroplasticity is the ability to adapt, learn, and help certain pathways connect or even disconnect.

Examples of neuroplasticity come from early childhood when our brains are very absorbent of information around us. This is how we can learn to count to 100 and how to tie our shoes. However, increased neuroplasticity later in life is also linked to being very beneficial to our mental and physical health. We use neuroplasticity to unlearn harmful thoughts and behaviors and build pathways to healthy ones. It also acts as a protective factor towards brain diseases such as Alzheimers by increasing the brain’s ability to adapt and improvise, even when there is loss of function in other regions of the brain.

So how does any of this connect to why creativity is so beneficial to the brain?

The answer is that many creative things can improve our neuroplasticity. Learning new instruments, painting, writing, solving problems, and engaging those creative parts of the brain allows for us to create links and signals between our mind and bodies that can remain active even after memory fails. This is known as a form of muscle (or motor) memory and is one of the most remarkable things our brains can do. Maybe you’ve seen videos of patients with dementia demonstrating a skill — such as playing an instrument — without remembering what song they are playing. This is a result of neuroplasticity and motor memory.

Developing these skills is not just about hobbies for when there’s nothing else to do. It actually improves the way our brain functions, heals, and communicates. A life without these experiences means we are missing out on the brain’s gift of adaption and strength.

So, when AI comes into the picture of art, writing, and creativity in general, we are removing something that gives us the ability for our minds to adapt. Those mental muscles become weaker because we are using them less. For many people, AI seems like a convenient tool because it can create all of these things on your behalf. But should it? 

Viewing human creativity and art as something that can be replaced or removed from our society is entirely harmful. We have resorted to cutting corners and denying ourselves the privilege of growth and health. It denies us access to tools that we have used for all of existence to become better as a species. And this is not just about whether we have “skill” anymore, because skill is not what matters (although, I will leave THAT discussion for another day). Our minds and bodies depend on creation to truly thrive.


Resources:
Cleveland Clinic on Neuroplasticity
American Psychological Association on Art
The Healing Power of Art on Brain Function
The National Library of Medicine on Music Therapy & Alzheimers

staying Motivated to Finish a novel

The process of editing and finishing a novel means there has to be many changes and revisions to my initial draft. This has been somewhat of a curve for me; I am great at writing all day and spewing ideas, but I find editing is a much slower and taxing process on my brain. Yet at the same time, I find myself looking forward to the result of all of my hard work.

There are a few things that keep me moving: 

1. Knowing that even though it’s not perfect now, the only thing I can do is make it better than it was before. This means cutting or transforming unnecessary and awkward scenes into something cohesive and moving. I enjoy seeing this process, even when it is long and difficult to push through. It is months, if not years, of my hard work turning into something I will be proud for doing. Know that the most valuable motivation will come after you make yourself start. 

2. Consistency is key. In writing, most people judge their success by how many words they can get out in a day. But, realistically, many people won’t be able to crank out 3,000 words every day. For me, sometimes all I write is one word. It may be the most nonsensical continuation of the draft, but it is one more word than I had before. In writing, you have to learn to lose your fear around being a bad writer and let yourself make mistakes. Let yourself not plan everything perfectly. In fact, I have practiced, on purpose, the worst writing I can manage. It teaches me what flaws in writing look like, and how to correct them.

3. Relating to the story, for me, is essential. The story, the characters, the psychology of everything, is something that resonates with me deeply because of my life experiences. The best writers I know write with their personal battles in mind. From a character exclaiming she grew up with only half of her father to the guilt and shame surrounding loss, 12/19/23 explores topics I wish I read when I was struggling with grief of my own. 

It is all easier said than done to keep yourself moving through your work, but the payoff is worth every difficulty.