PsyberSpace: Understand Your World

Episode Title: The Psychological Power of Art and Creativity: Why We Create and How It Shapes Us
Introduction
Welcome back to PsyberSpace, the podcast where we dive deep into psychology, culture, media, and technology to help you understand your world. I'm your host, Leslie Poston, and this week we're exploring the psychological power of art and creativity - why we create, and how it shapes us. Lately I’ve found myself revisiting several poems that speak to this moment in time, so we’ll be using these poems as our example of art. Please know that the psychology discussed in this episode applies to all types of art and creativity. Let’s begin.
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

The raw emotion you just heard pulses through Dylan Thomas' iconic poem “Do not go gentle into that dark night”. It activates our brain's reward centers and stirs our souls with its universal themes of defiance and mortality. This is the power of art - not just to decorate, but to move us, to help us process the world and ourselves. Let’s examine the psychology behind why art impacts us so deeply, how creativity nurtures our mental well-being, and why we humans are compelled to create.
Segment 1: The Psychology of Art: Why It Moves Us
Let's return to Thomas' poem for a moment. The urgency in lines like "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" triggers an almost visceral response, firing up the amygdala, the brain's emotional headquarters. Research shows art we find moving energizes our reward pathways too, unleashing feel-good dopamine. No wonder great works resonate across cultures - they tap into universal human experiences.
As neuroscientist Semir Zeki found, when we experience art we find beautiful, our brain’s orbitofrontal cortex lights up—the same region associated with pleasure and decision-making. This explains why a poem like Thomas’ can feel so rewarding, even when it deals with heavy themes like mortality.
But art doesn't just evoke personal feelings; it binds us together in shared understanding. Poet Maya Angelou masterfully achieves this in her rousing work "Still I Rise." Listen:
"You may write me down in history / With your bitter, twisted lies, / You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I'll rise."
Angelou's triumphant words, like Thomas', spark resilience and hope in the face of struggle. Her soaring metaphors of rising like dust, air and moons lift readers, helping process thorny emotions. And her work fosters empathy by drawing us into her experience. This phenomenon is tied to mirror neurons, which were first discovered by neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti. These neurons fire both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else doing it, allowing us to ‘feel’ what the artist feels.
The theme of communal strength rings through poetry by other Black female luminaries too. Lucille Clifton’s "won't you celebrate with me" rejoices in everyday survival:
"come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed"
While Audre Lorde's "A Litany for Survival" digs into the psychology of oppression and expression:
"and when we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed but when we are silent we are still afraid"
Through vivid language, these artists transmute anguish into art that educates and empowers.
So how does art achieve this alchemy in our minds? For one, it's a master of metaphor. Symbols like Thomas' light and dark aid us in grasping abstract concepts like life and death. Analyzing art's deeper meanings keeps our thinking nimble too. Plus, losing ourselves in artistic flow can induce an almost meditative state of presence. From boosting brain function to buoying our spirits, art proves creativity is a potent psychological tool.
As linguists George Lakoff and Mark Johnson explain in their book Metaphors We Live By, metaphors aren’t just decorative—they shape how we think. For example, framing life as a ‘light’ and death as ‘darkness’ helps us grapple with the abstract concept of mortality in a way that feels immediate and visceral.

The power of art also lies in its ability to challenge our assumptions and broaden our perspectives. Great works often confront us with uncomfortable truths or present the world through a revelatory lens. They can shake us out of complacency and spur us to question the status quo.
Take Picasso’s painting titled "Guernica," for example. This harrowing masterpiece forces viewers to grapple with the brutality of war and the suffering it inflicts on innocents. By fragmenting forms and distorting faces, Picasso captures the psychological and physical anguish of violence in a way that demands a visceral response. When Guernica was first displayed at the 1937 World’s Fair, it shocked viewers with its stark depiction of war’s horrors. One critic described it as ‘a cry of outrage and horror,’ showing how art can force us to confront uncomfortable truths.
Or consider how Kafka's surreal tales, like "The Metamorphosis," use absurdism to expose the alienation and existential anxiety of modern life. By estranging us from the familiar, he makes us re-examine the often nonsensical systems and norms we take for granted.
Art shakes us awake. It rouses us from the lull of routine and compels us to peer more intently at our inner and outer worlds. In the process, it expands our circle of empathy and understanding. It is an antidote to insularity and an invitation to a richer mode of engaging with each other and our environment.
Segment 2: The Benefits of Creativity for Mental Health
As we've seen, experiencing art offers an array of cognitive and emotional perks. But what about making it? Increasingly, psychologists recognize creativity as a powerful form of therapy.
Studies show flexing our creative muscles, whether through visual art, music, dance or writing, can lift mood, ease anxiety and stress, and help heal trauma. One study found that engaging in creative activities like painting or writing will boost mood and reduce stress even if you don’t consider yourself an artist. Not only do these pursuits distract us from negative thought spirals, the process of translating experiences into art helps us step back and see them anew.
This was certainly true for Dylan Thomas, who grappled with his father's mortality and his own fears through poems like "Do Not Go Gentle." For him and countless others, creative self-expression forges meaning from even the darkest chapters. It also carves out space for neglected parts of ourselves to emerge and be seen.
What's more, engaging in creative flow states can induce mindfulness, pulling us into the present moment. Time seems to melt away as we get caught up in the colors on our canvas or notes on the page. It's a form of moving meditation, a soothing counterpoint to the chatter of our thoughts. As psychologist MEE-high CHICK-sent-mee-high-ee Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes it, flow is ‘being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one.’ This is why losing yourself in a creative project can feel so restorative.
Perhaps most powerfully, creativity emboldens us to author our own stories. Through art, we can reframe our struggles, discover wells of resilience, and declare our identity on our own terms. In a world that often tries to beat us into submission, art empowers us to write ourselves into being again and again.
The benefits of creativity for mental health are especially relevant in our digital age. With the constant bombardment of stimuli and the pressure to curate picture-perfect lives online, many of us are experiencing an epidemic of anxiety, loneliness, and burnout.
In this context, the act of creating something from nothing can be a profound affirmation of our agency and authenticity. When we put pen to paper, brush to canvas, or hands to clay, we reconnect with our fundamental humanity. We remember that we are more than passive consumers - we are active meaning-makers.
This is particularly important for those whose voices and visions are often marginalized. For BIPOC communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups, art can be a means of resistance and resilience. It's a way to assert selfhood, preserve heritage, and imagine alternate possibilities. For instance, during the Harlem Renaissance, artists like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston used their work to assert the dignity and beauty of Black culture in the face of systemic racism. Their creativity wasn’t just self-expression—it was a form of resistance.
Programs that bring art and artmaking to at-risk populations - from youth in underserved schools to adults in addiction recovery to seniors in memory care - consistently demonstrate the therapeutic power of creativity. Participants report increased self-esteem, decreased stress, enhanced problem-solving, and an overall improved quality of life.
But you don't have to be part of a vulnerable group to reap the rewards of self-expression. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by the pace and pressures of modern living, art is an accessible and affordable form of self-care. It's a means to find grounding in a dizzying world, to recover a sense of wonder amidst the daily grind.
Segment 3: The Evolutionary and Cultural Role of Creativity
This drive to create isn't just a modern notion - it's hard-wired into our species. Evolutionary psychologists believe artmaking emerged tens of thousands of years ago as a way to communicate, problem-solve, and promote social cohesion.
Imagine early humans huddled around a fire, captivated by tales of the hunt or songs of shared history. Ponder the cave painters who memorialized their myths in mineral pigments or the dancers who enacted sacred rituals. Creativity connects communities and carries culture forward. Evolutionary psychologist Ellen Dissanayake argues that artmaking is a universal human behavior that evolved to promote social bonding and communication. In her book Homo Aestheticus, she writes, ‘Art is not a luxury, but a necessity for human well-being.’
Art also shapes society by challenging norms and assumptions. Like Thomas urging us to rail against complacency in our individual lives, artists throughout history have used their mediums to inspire change on a grand scale. From protest anthems that galvanized movements to guerrilla artworks that exposed injustices - creativity is a catalyst for daring to envision a different way.
Even in Thomas' poem, we can hear echoes of his Welsh heritage with its esteem for passion, lyricism and standing up for one's beliefs. The values encoded in our art serve as psychic beacons, guiding us toward who we want to be, individually and collectively.
The cultural impact of creativity is perhaps most visible in movements for social change. Take the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s, which harnessed poetry, theater, music, and visual art as vehicles for political protest and community empowerment. Amiri Baraka's incendiary plays, Sonia Sanchez's searing stanzas, and the radiant murals of Chicago's Wall of Respect galvanized a spirit of pride and purpose. Take Nina Simone’s song ‘To Be Young, Gifted and Black,’ which became an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement. Simone once said, ‘An artist’s duty is to reflect the times,’ and her music did just that, inspiring generations to fight for equality.
More recently, we've seen the arts fueling activism in everything from the anthems of Black Lives Matter to the sea of pink pussy hats at the Women's March to the stirring projections of climate crisis imagery on buildings worldwide. Street art, in particular, has become a potent medium for dissent, from Banksy's guerrilla graffiti to JR's giant wheatpaste portraits.
In these turbulent times, artists remind us that another world is possible. They help us envision a future beyond the brokenness of the present. By giving form to our deepest yearnings and boldest imaginings, they embolden us to believe that change is within reach.
Art is also central to campaigns for cultural preservation, especially for indigenous and diasporic peoples. From the intricate beadwork of the Zulu to the vibrant Chickee huts of the Seminole, from the subversive arpilleras of Chilean women to the dazzling dance masks of the Dogon, ancestral artforms keep traditions alive and communities united in the face of erasure. For example, the Maori people of New Zealand have used traditional tattooing, or ta moko, to preserve their cultural identity. Each design tells a story, connecting the wearer to their ancestors and community.
So while the evolutionary role of creativity may have originated as a tool for survival, it has since evolved into a means of revival. Through art, we resurrect endangered languages, honor forgotten histories, and reanimate our sense of rootedness. We proclaim that our stories matter, our cultures are treasures, our existence is resistance.
Segment 4: Practical Takeaways: How to Harness the Power of Art and Creativity
So how can you unleash the potential of art and creativity in your own life? It's simpler than you might think. You don't need to be a virtuoso - just have a willingness to experiment and express yourself.
Try keeping a journal, noodling on an instrument, or doodling in the margins. Cook up an old family recipe, tend a garden, or make a scrapbook of your favorite memories. Savor a poem each morning or designate a day for gallery hopping. Most of all, create for creation's sake, without worrying about the outcome. Try this: Set aside 10 minutes each day to free-write in a journal, for example. Don’t worry about grammar or structure—just let your thoughts flow. You might be surprised at what emerges.
Engaging with art, whether as a maker or appreciator, is like any healthy habit - the more you do it, the more benefits you reap. So treat yourself to regular doses of creative sustenance. Your mind, and your spirit, will thank you. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out the Poetry Foundation’s website, where you can read thousands of poems for free, including the ones we discussed today.
Segment 5: Conclusion
In the end, the power of art and creativity lies in how it liberates us. It frees our minds, awakens our senses, loosens the grip of our demons. It emboldens us to transmute pain into paint, grief into verses of grace. Through art, we summon the strength to rage against the dying of the light, in all its forms. Going back to Thomas:
“And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

As Maya Angelou once said, ‘You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.’ So go out and create, or simply take a moment to appreciate the art around you. It’s one of the most human things we can do.

Thanks for listening to this episode of PsyberSpace. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode! This is your host, Leslie Poston, signing off. Until next time, go make art and enjoy art, it’s one of the best ways to stay curious.