Rewiring the brain through creativity
This weekend at Art Basel I was fortunate to see Tara Swart as part of a Wellness panel. During her panel she mentioned how important creativity is for our brains and encouraged us all to see art. Then I realized creativity is not a weakness, it is an outlet to help rewire our brains. Walking through the installations, I could feel my brain shift gears. The color, scale, textures and unexpected combinations pulled me out of my usual analytical patterns and into a state of curiosity. The interesting combinations almost felt like when I built a diverse team of employees, we were all different but together we became a masterpiece.
As leaders, we often say that we don't have time to be creative, we need to do more emails, do more performance reviews and then you start procrastinating and still end up staying up late or rushing tasks right before they are due. Have you ever thought about taking a creative break? Maybe going to a museum, learning how to paint, learning how to knit or just recently I took up bedazzling! Giving your brain a break from the routine is what your nervous system may require.
Novelty increases dopamine, which fuels motivation, hope and forward momentum. Beauty activates the limbic system, helping the brain integrate emotions that have been held for too long. Presence lowers cortisol and opens the pathways for learning and change. That combination is why creativity feels like joy. It is the sensation of your brain reorganizing itself into a more open, resilient version of you.
For me, Art Basel was not about the art itself. It was about remembering that creativity is how I expand. It is how I move from the past into the next version of myself. It is how I find clarity in my work, energy in my leadership and softness in my personal life. I felt my body calm down, I felt a sense of joy while watching the most beautiful art. Physically too, Art Basel helped my cortisol level lower and I felt relaxed. Most of my day runs on repeated circuits: problem solving, decision making, planning, stress response. Creativity interrupts those loops and pushes activation into parts of the brain that usually stay quiet. But this weekend, it was different.
For me, creativity isn't about making something perfect. It's about giving my brain a chance to reorganize itself around possibility. Every time I write, build, sketch, dream or immerse myself in art, I come back a slightly different version of myself.
More open. More grounded. More aligned. If you have been feeling stuck, overwhelmed or disconnected, spend time with something creative. Visit a gallery. Listen to live music. Write two imperfect paragraphs. Let your brain surprise you. It may be the most productive thing you do all week.
