Those of us who spend time working in the arts, specifically creating new art – be it written, musical, visual – know instinctively that our brains work differently. We know that the hours of learning and practice have helped to develop areas of our brains that then contribute to successful outputs within the rest of our lives. This became especially clear to me when I began formulating the workshops which have become Writing Through. People began to ask me, ‘How did you ever think this up?” It was a very good question and eventually I understood that my ability to create a new program and envision delivering it throughout the world was a direct result of my years of training in the arts, ie arts education. There is a long tradition of writers going on to create social programs. One example is Beatrice Potter. She didn’t only write about bunny rabbits. She also envisioned a world in a new way and went on to ensure that her vision became a reality. Her work in England’s Lakes District became the backbone of today’s National Trust. Something happens to your brain when you work as an artist. But what?

I was recently shown a video by my friend, Nina, who is not only a Classicist and teacher, but also a talented painter. It expalins in two minutes the way your brain functions when pursuing the arts. It is fascinating and validating. Take a look and see for yourself the benefits of the arts and the essential, transferable skills that come with arts education.