By Arhem Amer
Many people at some point in their lives have dreamt of becoming famous artists of some sort, such as Leonardo DaVinci or Katy Perry. As it turns out, the capacity for creativity in humans can be identified to some extent through their genes and brain structure. A research team from Cornell University conducted MRI scans on artists and regular right-handed adults who are not in art based jobs. They found that those who had a smaller corpus callosum, the bridge between the two hemispheres of the brain which transfers information between the two, were more artistic and creative. A proposed explanation was that the decreased connectivity allows for more time for each hemisphere to process ideas, resulting in more unique and creative ideas.
A more extensive experiment was published on July 2018 where 321 students were given two tests on divergent and convergent thinking capabilities. Along with this, their DNA was sequenced in order to observe which polymorphisms, multiple forms of a single gene that exists in an individual or among a group of individuals, were present. Polymorphism rs2576037 in the KATNAL2 gene related to the fluency and originality component scores of UUT, and the polymorphism of rs5993883 in COMT as well as rs362584 in SNAP25 related to the RAT performance. The conclusions of the experiment showed that those who had the above-mentioned polymorphisms were able to create more unique answers and solutions to the problems presented than others, pointing towards a genetic component in these polymorphisms and creativity.
So when you find yourself thinking about becoming an artist, remember that there’s more to it than just picking up an instrument and playing or grabbing a paintbrush and painting.