12 DECEMBER 2015
CREATIVE ARTS
As a ballet-dancing bumble bee, I made my stage debut at three years old and can still vividly recall running (sorry, gracefully moving) onto the theatre stage and buzzing my net wings. Little did I know that this promising start would lead to dancing on various platforms and podiums in numerous clubs, more from my sheer insistence than from natural talent!
Whilst my performances now focus on delivering training or as a speaker, I am so thankful to all of the dedicated professionals working in all aspects of the creative arts. Inspiring and entertaining with their physical, creative, musical and dramatic abilities, both those in front and behind the scenes, play an essential part in human evolution.
Being absorbed and away from our daily lives is good for us and the theatre, cinema, music, dance and appreciation of art enable us to enter different worlds (see also 09th December). In addition, we can be mesmerised from what is possible for humans to achieve by witnessing those with skills very different to our own.
The creative arts enable society to come together through conveying history, cultural norms and emotions. Humans’ darkest times are frequently communicated through an abundance of artistic mediums. Perhaps, it helps us to process the pain.
From the brain’s view, storytelling is an efficient way of communicating ideas and emotions, especially tales focusing on the triumphant overcoming of struggles and adversity. For example, if you have watched Spectre, you may have exited the cinema feeling like you could take on the world (and ahem, with all sorts of other sensations too!). This is no accident: the tension contained in the narrative is designed to hold the brain’s interest and brain scans indicate that viewers will be more likely to mimic the feelings and actions of the characters afterwards. Social science students will cheer, as this confirmation means that endless debates on whether television affects viewers will no longer have to be endured in late Friday afternoon lectures around the world. Thank you, creative arts.