New development in Neurosurgery, is leading to the realisation that creativity might not be linked to the right brain after all. I came to this conclusion after listening to a talk by Prof Graeme Fieggan, a leading Paediatric Neurosurgeon. Radical surgeries on children who had life threatening conditions have involved removing the one side of the brain totally. Even though one half of the brain has been removed, some of these children recover, learn to speak again, and can interact and socialize normally with other people.
It seems that due to the ability of the brain to adapt, the other half can take over functions previously performed by the amputated half. If this is true, there is no sense in implying that any trait is limited only to this or that half. Rather there is a preference in development. Speech for example develops mostly in the left brain, although there are expectations. This then leads to the majority of right-handedness in the world. When the left brain is amputated, the right half happily takes over this function.
From my understanding this is made possible by the “plasticity” of the brain, or the ability of the neurons to make new connections.
It seems there is hope for the creatively challenged after all…
What do you see in the image - Fishes? supposedly left brain, something else? then you are probably using your right brain. My current thinking is that this is mere preference, changeable with the right environment and stimulation.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
The Right Brain, is NOT the Seat of Creativity!!
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3 comments:
I think that 'right' or 'left' brains are more useful as philosophical constructs than as actual maps. Plasticity doesn't decrease the usefulness of these concepts at all!
We really do have a number of perceptions around where creativity resides, what creativity means and who is creative. Juliet, Dean and I had a chat about this last night. We said that creativity does not always have to be "glamorous" like the Ennio Marchetto show; it can be simple and practical – like finding a new way to get your kids to eat their veggies!
I fully agree - you cannot box and define it. It is very much dependent on perceptions and your frame of reference. Viewed differently - the picture changes completely. And is that not exactly what we learned in strategy. That your current situation can look completely different with a different lens.
As per my question to Prof Fieggan: "Is a brain transplant possible?" and his retort "Is it not perhaps rather a body transplant?"
PS Regarding the picture - whatever it is, she's clearly having a serious bad hair day. And rather fishy!!
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