It's Personal

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Still Life with Lobster 1781 Anne Vallayer-Coster

Any artist who has exhibited their work to the public has probably wondered why some paintings seem to excite people and others don’t. Or, why some people love a piece of work and others don’t even find it interesting? Often, we come away from such experiences wondering what we did wrong, or feeling that perhaps our work isn’t good enough to be appreciated or understood. Of course in the case of a truly flawed work, a little introspection can lead to improvement the next time. But when a work is inspired and seems to have no apparent flaws, this can lead to self doubt, depression or worse.

Recent research into brain function is discovering the mechanisms which govern personal taste, specifically, what process powers aesthetic preferences. This new information should give heart to all artists who have suffered rejection of one sort or another. It all takes place in an area of the brain called the default mode n…