Dance, Paint, Play And More: How Creativity Might Help Your Brain Stay Young

Last Updated:November 03, 2025, 12:54 IST

Dancing, sketching, or even playing chess online does more than lift your mood; creative activities may actually help rejuvenate your brain.

What if keeping your brain young didn’t depend on puzzles, supplements, or a strict routine but on joy itself? Imagine slowing down brain ageing not by solving crosswords or counting calories, but by dancing, painting, or playing music. A new international study, led by neuroscientists Carlos Coronel and Agustín Ibáñez, suggests that creativity may be one of the most powerful and overlooked ways to maintain brain health and resilience with age.

Let’s understand how engaging in creative activities can help make the brain “younger” on a biological level and what it means for us.

Creativity And The Brain’s Inner Clock

The researchers examined how creative experiences influence what is called the brain clock, an artificial intelligence (AI) model that estimates how old a person’s brain looks compared to their actual age.

A “younger” brain clock indicates better neural efficiency and connectivity, while an “older” one may suggest accelerated ageing or reduced flexibility.

Speaking to The Conversation, the researchers explained that brain health is not just the absence of disease. It’s the brain’s ability to think, feel, and adapt efficiently in response to life’s changes.

As we age, the brain naturally undergoes biological and structural changes that can affect focus, learning, and memory. But these changes occur at different rates for different people; some brains remain sharp and responsive well into old age. The study sought to uncover whether creativity could explain part of that resilience.

Turning Creativity Into Science

The research, conducted across 13 countries and involving nearly 1,400 participants, included people who were expert tango dancers, musicians, visual artists, and gamers, along with non-experts of similar age, education, and gender.

The team recorded participants’ brain activity using magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography, the techniques that capture brain function in real time. These readings were then fed into machine learning models to “train” brain clocks for each participant.

If the model predicted a brain age lower than the person’s actual age, it meant their brain was functioning more youthfully. To understand why creativity had that effect, the team also used biophysical models—digital replicas of the brain that simulate how neurons interact using mathematical equations.

While brain clocks could measure biological age, these biophysical models helped uncover what was happening inside the brain’s communication network.

What The Study Found

Across every form of creativity, the trend was clear: creative people had brains that looked significantly younger than their chronological age.

Tango dancers showed the most dramatic results—their brains appeared more than seven years younger than their actual age.

Musicians and visual artists followed closely, with brains that seemed five to six years younger.

Gamers showed about a four-year reduction in brain age.

And the benefits weren’t limited to experts. When non-experts were trained to play the strategy video game StarCraft II for just 30 hours, their brain clocks ticked backwards by two to three years.

The more participants engaged in their art form, the stronger the results. It didn’t matter whether the activity was physical, like dancing or mental, like painting or gaming—all enhanced communication between brain regions vital for learning, focus, and flexibility. These areas typically show the earliest signs of ageing, yet creativity appeared to keep its neural connections stronger and more adaptable.

The Science Behind The Art

So, what exactly happens in the brain when you paint or dance? The study’s biophysical modelling showed that creative engagement strengthens the efficiency and coordination of neural communication. It’s like upgrading a country’s road system—building more highways and improving their quality to help information travel faster and more smoothly between cities.

Creative activities require the brain to combine memory, emotion, movement, and imagination in real time. This dynamic integration keeps neural pathways active and flexible, which may explain why creative individuals often show greater resilience to cognitive decline.

The research also found that creativity protects brain areas most vulnerable to ageing, particularly those responsible for attention and learning. By improving how these regions interact, creativity helps the brain function as a more synchronised and resilient network.

Why This Study Matters To Us?

This study reframes creativity from a purely cultural or emotional pursuit into a biological pathway to brain health. It bridges the gap between the arts and sciences, showing they are not opposites but partners in sustaining human wellbeing.

In a world where ageing populations are growing rapidly, this insight is transformative. It suggests that encouraging artistic engagement, whether through dance classes for seniors, music programs in schools, or community art projects, could play a measurable role in maintaining cognitive health across life spans.

Beyond policy implications, the study challenges the idea that creativity is a gift reserved for artists. Instead, it positions creative expression as an accessible, scientifically backed form of self-care. You don’t need to be a professional musician or dancer to benefit. Even short-term creative learning, like spending a few hours painting or trying a new game, can rejuvenate brain function.

Expanding the Definition Of Healthy Ageing

Traditionally, discussions about healthy ageing have focused on preventing disease or maintaining physical fitness. Coronel and Ibáñez’s research expands that view. True brain health, they argue, is not just about avoiding decline—it’s about cultivating resilience, adaptability, and joy. Creativity offers a pathway to achieve all three.

For public health, this means rethinking how we design wellness programs. Creative engagement could become as integral as exercise or nutrition, offering a low-cost, enjoyable, and deeply human strategy to keep the mind active.

The study reminds us that creativity is not a luxury; it’s biology in motion. By tapping into our innate urge to create, we may also be protecting one of our most precious resources, the youthful vitality of the brain.

So the next time you feel guilty for taking that dance class or doodling during a break, remember: it is not just fun—it is neuroscience. Your creative spark might just be your brain’s secret to staying young.

Surbhi Pathak

Surbhi Pathak, subeditor, writes on India, world affairs, science, and education. She is currently dabbling with lifestyle content. Follow her on X: @S_Pathak_11.

Surbhi Pathak, subeditor, writes on India, world affairs, science, and education. She is currently dabbling with lifestyle content. Follow her on X: @S_Pathak_11.

Creativity And The Brain’s Inner Clock

The researchers examined how creative experiences influence what is called the brain clock, an artificial intelligence (AI) model that estimates how old a person’s brain looks compared to their actual age.

A “younger” brain clock indicates better neural efficiency and connectivity, while an “older” one may suggest accelerated ageing or reduced flexibility.

Speaking to The Conversation, the researchers explained that brain health is not just the absence of disease. It’s the brain’s ability to think, feel, and adapt efficiently in response to life’s changes.

As we age, the brain naturally undergoes biological and structural changes that can affect focus, learning, and memory. But these changes occur at different rates for different people; some brains remain sharp and responsive well into old age. The study sought to uncover whether creativity could explain part of that resilience.

Turning Creativity Into Science

The research, conducted across 13 countries and involving nearly 1,400 participants, included people who were expert tango dancers, musicians, visual artists, and gamers, along with non-experts of similar age, education, and gender.

The team recorded participants’ brain activity using magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography, the techniques that capture brain function in real time. These readings were then fed into machine learning models to “train” brain clocks for each participant.

If the model predicted a brain age lower than the person’s actual age, it meant their brain was functioning more youthfully. To understand why creativity had that effect, the team also used biophysical models—digital replicas of the brain that simulate how neurons interact using mathematical equations.

While brain clocks could measure biological age, these biophysical models helped uncover what was happening inside the brain’s communication network.

What The Study Found

Across every form of creativity, the trend was clear: creative people had brains that looked significantly younger than their chronological age.

Tango dancers showed the most dramatic results—their brains appeared more than seven years younger than their actual age.

Musicians and visual artists followed closely, with brains that seemed five to six years younger.

Gamers showed about a four-year reduction in brain age.

And the benefits weren’t limited to experts. When non-experts were trained to play the strategy video game StarCraft II for just 30 hours, their brain clocks ticked backwards by two to three years.

The more participants engaged in their art form, the stronger the results. It didn’t matter whether the activity was physical, like dancing or mental, like painting or gaming—all enhanced communication between brain regions vital for learning, focus, and flexibility. These areas typically show the earliest signs of ageing, yet creativity appeared to keep its neural connections stronger and more adaptable.

The Science Behind The Art

So, what exactly happens in the brain when you paint or dance? The study’s biophysical modelling showed that creative engagement strengthens the efficiency and coordination of neural communication. It’s like upgrading a country’s road system—building more highways and improving their quality to help information travel faster and more smoothly between cities.

Creative activities require the brain to combine memory, emotion, movement, and imagination in real time. This dynamic integration keeps neural pathways active and flexible, which may explain why creative individuals often show greater resilience to cognitive decline.

The research also found that creativity protects brain areas most vulnerable to ageing, particularly those responsible for attention and learning. By improving how these regions interact, creativity helps the brain function as a more synchronised and resilient network.

Why This Study Matters To Us?

This study reframes creativity from a purely cultural or emotional pursuit into a biological pathway to brain health. It bridges the gap between the arts and sciences, showing they are not opposites but partners in sustaining human wellbeing.

In a world where ageing populations are growing rapidly, this insight is transformative. It suggests that encouraging artistic engagement, whether through dance classes for seniors, music programs in schools, or community art projects, could play a measurable role in maintaining cognitive health across life spans.

Beyond policy implications, the study challenges the idea that creativity is a gift reserved for artists. Instead, it positions creative expression as an accessible, scientifically backed form of self-care. You don’t need to be a professional musician or dancer to benefit. Even short-term creative learning, like spending a few hours painting or trying a new game, can rejuvenate brain function.

Expanding the Definition Of Healthy Ageing

Traditionally, discussions about healthy ageing have focused on preventing disease or maintaining physical fitness. Coronel and Ibáñez’s research expands that view. True brain health, they argue, is not just about avoiding decline—it’s about cultivating resilience, adaptability, and joy. Creativity offers a pathway to achieve all three.

For public health, this means rethinking how we design wellness programs. Creative engagement could become as integral as exercise or nutrition, offering a low-cost, enjoyable, and deeply human strategy to keep the mind active.

The study reminds us that creativity is not a luxury; it’s biology in motion. By tapping into our innate urge to create, we may also be protecting one of our most precious resources, the youthful vitality of the brain.

So the next time you feel guilty for taking that dance class or doodling during a break, remember: it is not just fun—it is neuroscience. Your creative spark might just be your brain’s secret to staying young.

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