Creativity is an important part of our physical and mental existence. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi suggests that, from a Darwinian evolutionary perspective, “creativity is the cultural equivalent of the process of genetic changes that result in biological evolution, where random variations take place in the chemistry of our chromosomes” (Csikszentmihalyi 1996:7).
Darwin’s Origin of Species was based on adaptation capability, a result of the creative randomness and improvised variation built into our evolving gene pool (Darwin 1859). It is the subtlety of improvisational nuance that defines evolution, and although the expression survival of the fittest might work well in sports analogies, it was not a part of Charles Darwin’s thesis, nor was it connected in any way to his evolutionary theory. Creativity is naturally built into our bodies, both chemically and intellectually, and it is an important component in the process of adaptation and, ultimately, our survival as a species.
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt at the synaptic and cortical levels to physical, emotional, environmental, and behavioural changes. For example, if the physical state of the brain is altered as a result of an accident or a stroke, the brain has the potential to relearn in another area some of the functionality that was lost or damaged. In The Brain’s Way of Healing, Dr. Norman Doidge discusses medical cases that examine where, using noninvasive therapy (sound, vibration, movement, light), patients experience dramatically improved quality of life.
Reduced chronic pain, brain injury recovery, and an improvement in many symptoms associated with a variety of health issues are attainable without traditional medical intervention, including autism, Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit disorders, and learning disabilities (Doidge 2015).
Darwin’s adaptation theory included both physical and mental changes based on a naturally evolving series of improvised solutions. The brain is able to create new connections and invent ways to rebuild itself (Rx Music 2020).
Keith Loach 