Your Brain on Art

Chapter 1

The Anatomy of the Arts


There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. Martha Graham, dancer and choreographer


We made a bold assertion in the Introduction. We told you that arts and aesthetic experiences will improve your health and well-being and enhance your ability to learn and flourish.

So let s lay the groundwork for why that s true.

We re going to start by showing you some foundational science and offering a quick tour through your body to illuminate the ways in which you are wired for the arts. By first showing you what is going on inside of you, you ll better appreciate all that follows in the book, which is how the arts and aesthetics affect your body and mind. You can think of this chapter as your arts anatomy cheat sheet.

Knowing how your senses work is key to understanding the transformative nature of the arts and aesthetics in your life. If you took the aesthetic mindset survey prior to this chapter, you have a better idea of how you experience the arts and the extent to which you tune in to your aesthetic surroundings. Let s expand on that with an exercise to connect you to the sensory experiences you are having right now.

To begin, get comfortable where you are. Breathe in through your nose. What do you smell? Close your eyes and concentrate on this one sense. Maybe there s a cup of your morning coffee, a glass of red wine, or a candle nearby with a familiar scent. Keep breathing. What do you notice next, beyond those first impressions? If you were trained as a sommelier or a perfumer, you would know those initial smells are the top notes, and you would identify numerous others that exist just below them. Perhaps there s a musty odor from a dusty bookshelf, or the distinctive smell of petrichor through an open window, that incredible earthy scent that comes when a rain

Susan Magsamen is the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she is a faculty member. She is also the co-director of the NeuroArts Blueprint. Susan works with both the public and private sectors using arts and culture evidence-based approaches in areas including health, child development, education, workforce innovation, rehabilitation, and social equity.

Ivy Ross is the Vice President of Design for hardware product area at Google, where she leads a team that has won over 225 design awards. She is a National Endowment for Arts grant recipient and was ninth on Fast Company’s list of the one hundred Most Creative People in Business in 2019. Ross believes that the intersection of arts and sciences is where the most engaging and creative ideas are found.

This book blew my mind! An authoritative yet practical guide to neuroarts a term that, if you haven t heard it before, is even more reason to join these brilliant coauthors on a romp through the latest science on how art transforms the brain and the body. Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit

Your Brain on Art will change how you think about the creative world, both around you and within you. Charles Duhigg, author of the bestsellers The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better

This wonderful book demonstrates that art is essential for health, healing, community, and bliss. Your Brain on Art is well researched and well written. I couldn t put it down. Mary Pipher, author of Women Rowing North and A Life in Light

Your Brain on Art explores the new science of neuroaesthetics, a way of reimagining how to live that includes art as an essential part of the human experience and an unexpected doorway to healing. Mark Hyman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Young Forever

A groundbreaking book on the science behind humanity, joy, and creativity. Art is the word we use for the magic that makes us better. Seth Godin, New York Times bestselling author of This Is Marketing

In this wonderful new book, Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show us how the experience of art helps to build connections and pathways for mental health. Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health and author of Healing

Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, through extensive interviews and research, have created something beautiful and affirming with their book. Its pages provide proof for what so many of us have always known, that art, especially art in community, is transformative beyond measure. David Byrne, founding member of The Talking Heads and author of How Music Works

For anyone who has been transfixed by a painting, or moved to tears by a piece of music, this book