Creativity 'And Your Brain On Fiction'

“Creativity is the brain's invisible muscle -- that when used and exercised routinely -- becomes better and stronger” (Ormon, 2016). A good fictional story depends on the writer's ability to create imagery for the reader, which allows them to experience it through their own senses. Each cortex of an individual's brain exhibits an important function in every action, feeling, and reaction that the person experiences. In the readings, "Is Creativity Sexy? The Evolutionary Advantages of Artistic Thinking" and "Your Brain on Fiction", Sam McNerney and Annie Murphy Paul discuss how creativity plays a role in the stimulation of the senses. Both readings come together to support the science behind words, the link between sex and creativity, and the …show more content…
Studies show that "when we read a detailed description, an evocative metaphor or an emotional exchange between characters . . . [it simulates] the brain and even [changes] how we act in life" (Paul, 2012, p.321). Different types of words excite different parts of the brain, especially words that illustrate one's senses. Research reveals that the words which describe motion, activate the motor cortex of the brain (Paul, 2012, p. 321). The action is even linked to a specific section of the motor cortex depending on which body part the movement affiliates with. On the other hand, words that illustrate the use of different senses, stimulate the sensory cortex of the brain. For example, "a team of researchers from Emory University reported . . . that when subjects in their laboratory read a metaphor involving texture, the sensory cortex, responsible for perceiving texture through touch, became active." (Paul, 2012, p. 321). The sensory cortex receives all the sensory information from the various surfaces of the body. This means that this cortex is also responsible for the sensations felt through intercourse, which pursues McNerney's thesis that links sex and