For many years, people believed that the right side of our brain was the “creative side” and the left side was the “logical side.” This idea is called “lateralization of brain function.” But does science agree?
Research shows that both sides of our brain work together more than we once thought. Using a tool called an fMRI, which is like a special camera for our brain, scientists have found that most activities, including creative ones, use both sides of the brain. However, specialised areas are separated in some cases. For example, areas of brain that deal with language are on the left hemisphere for most right-handed people.
A study in 2013 examined over 1,000 people and found that creativity doesn’t come from just the right side. Instead, creative thinking involves connections all over the brain. In fact, activities we think of as “left-brained” like math can also involve the right side, and “right-brained” activities like music can involve the left side.
So, while there might be some differences in how our brain’s sides function, it’s not accurate to say one side is strictly more creative. Both sides play a role, and they work best when they team up.
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