You Were Right. They Were Wrong.

Why Politicians Need To Explore Neuroaesthetics

Artists and educators are all too familiar with defending the importance of art education. Time now, not to be defensive with our language, and instead to know, with confidence, that yes, art is important (vital even) to our health and wellbeing.

A clay-baked ear. Roman votive offering

Thank you to all the sources that have helped me expand my thinking about why we need to speak louder, and make more time for art, both in our own lives, and in the lives of those we educate. Please find all references fully credited below - I urge you to visit and read them in their entirety.

To Begin…

Let’s remember we are sensory beings.

Seven animals from Japan, including two frogs, a snail, a slug, a water-bug and a silver fish. Gouache painting.

“We think we’re thinking beings that have learned how to feel, but we’re actually feeling beings that most recently learned how to think.” Julie Bolte-Taylor, Neuroanatomist

We are sensitive beings. We navigate the world through our sensibilities¹. Think snail, antennae, shell. We are creatures too. Keeping ourselves safe, from, and in, our environment. We often think of our sensitivities as being problems - but they are not problems. Without our sensitivities we wouldn’t be here. Not reacting or processing our sensitivities - that’s the problem².

Sensitivities arise in, from and through our bodies.