Left brain, right brain and dyslexia

In my recent posts I described how my work at NeuroBead has taken an unexpected turn towards raising patient awareness, rather than just portraying scientific progress.   Soon after finishing my work on “The Internal Storm” epilepsy project, I was contacted by a former collaborator I knew from an entrepreneurial initiative that I was involved in during my postdoctoral training.  After seeing my artwork being used for raising epilepsy awareness, she asked if I would be willing to make a dyslexia pin.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder, characterized primarily by difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols.  However, contrary to what some people may assume, it does not have an effect on general intelligence of the individual.  In fact, many people suffering from this condition show high levels of intelligence, creativity, and out-of-the-box thinking.   It is also a trait that is associated with many entrepreneurs, such as the three sharks on Shark Tank.

After researching some ideas, I came across a few images based on a relatively popular notion of the different qualities attributed to the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

I decided to take this idea, which appears to show up in quite a few versions, and portray it in 3D beadwork.  To represent the left brain hemisphere as logical and orderly, I used a regular alternating pattern of white and clear beads.  For the passionate and creative right hemisphere, I used multiple stripes of bright, colorful beads.

As I was working on the pin, a realization struck me.  This pattern not only represented the distinction in brain functions in dyslexia; it was a direct reflection of the way I wanted to connect the scientific and creative sides of myself through NeuroBead!  In fact, it is a direct reflection of the story behind my NeuroBead logo!

Moreover, while helping people raise awareness of neurological disorders introduced me to the “art heals” concept, making art has always had a therapeutic effect on me as well.  It helps me to stay sane amidst the daily chaos, and I am happy to bring that quality of art to people who need it.

Daily prompt:  Acceptance