Connection & Disconnections

I am really interested in whether being creative can actually improve the connections in your brain and so in the case of Alzheimer’s disease.

Can you use creativity to make new connections that maybe damaged or lost as the neuron pathways disappear?

Whist talking to the researchers at the University of Sheffield about their research into dementia they were not able to really say either way because the brain is a very complex and unknown part of our body. I found out lots about how the brain works and how obesity and lifestyle can affect those delicate neurons and that keeping active in later life should help and so on…

But as an Artist I feel that doing creative stuff has a positive impact on our mental and physical health and my tiny explorations working with people with dementia gives me hope that it does help.

There is proven evidence that music can bring people back who are suffering from this terrible disease and I think soon we will say the same for the visual arts.

I want to use my bold colourful paintings using brain patterns and connections as a way to engage people with Alzheimers and track brain responses to seeing the artwork and I am discussing these ideas with the researchers as a possible study.

I know based on some research into brain patterns that people with the disease often go to another world of consciousness different to the world of a healthy functioning brain. I did then think maybe that other world could be one made up of creative thoughts and patterns yet to be processed and understood?

I am creating paintings at the moment based on another abstract world to make sense of how I feel connected and think there is much more to explore here.

Watch this space for answers and new work.