Your Brain on Art

Your Brain on Art Plot Summary

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why a piece of music can instantly transport you back to a specific memory, or why certain paintings make your heart race while others leave you cold? These powerful responses aren't just subjective preferences—they're the result of complex neurobiological processes happening in your brain. Every time you engage with art, whether viewing a painting, listening to music, or dancing, your brain undergoes measurable changes that affect your thoughts, emotions, and even your physical health. The emerging field of neuroaesthetics explores this fascinating intersection between art and neuroscience, revealing how aesthetic experiences literally rewire our neural pathways. Recent advances in brain imaging have allowed scientists to observe in real-time how our brains process beauty, creativity, and artistic expression. What they've discovered is remarkable: art isn't just a cultural luxury—it's a biological necessity that shapes our neural architecture, enhances our cognitive abilities, and promotes healing in ways that conventional medicine often cannot achieve. Throughout this book, we'll explore how different forms of artistic engagement activate specific brain regions, trigger beneficial neurochemical responses, and create lasting changes in brain structure that can improve everything from emotional regulation to physical recovery from injury.

Chapter 1: The Neural Foundations of Aesthetic Experience

Aesthetic experiences begin in our sensory systems but quickly engage the entire brain in a complex neural symphony. When you look at a beautiful painting, sound waves from music, or the graceful movements of dance, your brain processes these inputs through specialized pathways before integrating them into a unified experience. Visual art activates not just your visual cortex but also regions associated with emotion, memory, and meaning-making. Similarly, music engages auditory processing areas alongside emotional and reward centers, creating what neuroscientists call "neural synchrony"—a harmonious activation across multiple brain regions. What makes aesthetic experiences so powerful is their ability to bypass our analytical thinking and directly access our emotional brain. The amygdala, our emotional processing center, responds to aesthetic stimuli before conscious thought occurs. This explains why we can feel moved by art before we intellectually understand it. Research shows that this emotional engagement triggers the release of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin—neurochemicals associated with pleasure, well-being, and social connection. In one study, participants viewing artwork they found beautiful showed activation in the ventral striatum—the same reward center that responds to food, money, and other primary pleasures. Our aesthetic responses follow patterns explained by neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee's "aesthetic triad" model. This framework shows how three interconnected neural systems—sensory-motor, emotion-valuation, and knowledge-meaning—combine to create our personal aesthetic experiences. The sensory-motor system processes the physical properties of what we see or hear, the emotion-valuation system determines whether we find something pleasing, and the knowledge-meaning system connects experiences to our personal history and cultural context. This explains why aesthetic preferences can be both universal and deeply personal—certain patterns like symmetry and harmony appeal to most human brains across cultures, while other responses are shaped by our unique neural landscapes formed through individual experiences. The default mode network (DMN), a collection of brain regions active when we're not focused on external tasks, plays a crucial role in how we process aesthetic experiences. Neuroscientist Ed Vessel has found that when we encounter art that deeply resonates with us, our DMN activates in unique ways, creating those "aha!" moments where we feel we've seen the world differently. This network helps explain why aesthetic preferences are so personal—your brain is literally processing art through the lens of your unique life experiences and self-concept. Understanding these neural foundations helps explain why art has been central to human experience throughout history. Our brains evolved to find meaning and pattern in our environment, and art provides a concentrated form of this meaning-making activity. The neural circuits that process aesthetic experiences overlap significantly with those involved in social cognition, suggesting that our capacity to appreciate art may have evolved alongside our ability to understand others' minds. This connection between aesthetics and social cognition explains why shared artistic experiences can create such powerful bonds between people—a phenomenon we'll explore further in later chapters.

Chapter 2: How Art Rewires Your Brain Through Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity—the brain's remarkable ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections—lies at the heart of how art transforms our minds. Each time you engage with art, whether creating or experiencing it, your brain physically changes. These changes occur through several mechanisms, beginning with what neuroscientists call "Hebbian learning": neurons that fire together wire together. When you repeatedly engage with aesthetic experiences, the neural pathways involved become stronger and more efficient, just as muscles develop through regular exercise. The evidence for art-induced neuroplasticity is compelling. Musicians show increased gray matter in areas responsible for auditory processing, motor control, and executive function compared to non-musicians. A landmark study by neuroscientist Gottfried Schlaug found that professional musicians have a larger corpus callosum—the bridge between brain hemispheres—than non-musicians, allowing for better communication between analytical and creative brain regions. Similarly, visual artists develop enhanced perceptual abilities, with studies showing increased neural density in visual processing regions and improved connectivity between visual and prefrontal areas responsible for attention and decision-making. Art's neuroplastic effects extend beyond structural changes to functional reorganization. When we engage in creative activities, our brains enter distinctive states that combine focused attention with relaxed inhibition. This unique neural configuration, sometimes called "flow," involves temporary deactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—the brain region responsible for self-criticism and doubt—while simultaneously activating reward circuits that release dopamine. Through repeated experiences of this state, the brain becomes more adept at accessing it, essentially rewiring itself to facilitate creative thinking and emotional regulation. The transformative power of art-induced neuroplasticity is perhaps most evident in therapeutic contexts. For individuals recovering from stroke or traumatic brain injury, music therapy leverages neuroplasticity to rebuild damaged circuits. When stroke patients with speech impairments engage in melodic intonation therapy—essentially singing rather than speaking phrases—they activate intact right-hemisphere pathways that can gradually compensate for damaged left-hemisphere language areas. Studies show that stroke patients receiving music therapy regain verbal abilities significantly faster than those receiving only standard speech therapy. This neuroplastic potential makes art particularly valuable for building cognitive reserve—the brain's resilience against age-related decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Engaging in novel creative activities throughout life strengthens neural connections and promotes the growth of new neurons through a process called neurogenesis. A longitudinal study following older adults found that those who regularly participated in creative activities showed 73% less cognitive decline than those who rarely engaged creatively. This protective effect occurs because creative challenges force the brain to form new neural pathways rather than relying on established circuits, maintaining cognitive flexibility and adaptability.

Chapter 3: The Healing Power of Creative Expression

Creative expression offers unique pathways to healing by engaging neural mechanisms that conventional medical treatments often cannot access. When we create art—whether painting, writing, dancing, or making music—our brains enter a state that combines focused attention with emotional processing, creating ideal conditions for psychological integration and physiological regulation. This explains why art therapy has proven effective for conditions ranging from PTSD to chronic pain to neurodegenerative diseases. At its core, art therapy works by activating the brain's reward system while simultaneously bypassing defense mechanisms. When we create art, our brains release dopamine—the "feel-good" neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. This neurochemical response creates a state of focused attention and reduced anxiety, allowing individuals to explore difficult emotions from a position of relative safety. Neuroimaging studies show that artistic creation activates the medial prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate emotional responses, while simultaneously reducing activity in the amygdala, the brain's alarm system for stress and fear. The process of art-making also engages both hemispheres of the brain in a unique synchrony. The right hemisphere, associated with intuition, emotion, and holistic thinking, works alongside the left hemisphere, which handles sequential processing and verbal expression. This bilateral integration helps bridge the gap between emotional experiences and cognitive understanding—particularly valuable for processing traumatic memories, which are often stored as fragmented sensory impressions rather than coherent narratives. Research with trauma survivors shows that creating art can help reconnect these fragmented neural networks, allowing traumatic memories to be processed and integrated. The healing effects of creative expression extend to physiological processes as well. Creating art reduces cortisol levels—the body's primary stress hormone—and increases production of immunoglobulin A, enhancing immune function. A groundbreaking study at Drexel University found that just 45 minutes of art-making significantly reduced cortisol levels in participants, regardless of their prior artistic experience. This stress-reduction effect helps explain why art therapy can improve outcomes for patients managing chronic pain, cancer treatment, and other physical health challenges. For individuals with neurodegenerative conditions like dementia, creative expression activates preserved neural pathways for procedural memory and emotional processing, allowing for meaningful communication even as verbal abilities decline. Studies demonstrate that regular art therapy sessions can reduce agitation and improve quality of life in dementia patients by activating intact neural circuits for creativity and emotional expression. One particularly moving example comes from the work of neurologist Oliver Sacks, who documented how patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease who could no longer recognize family members could still paint, play music, or dance—accessing memories and abilities through artistic pathways that remained intact even as other cognitive functions deteriorated.

Chapter 4: Music and Sound: Direct Pathways to Neural Circuits

Music possesses a remarkable ability to access neural circuits in ways that other stimuli cannot match. When we listen to music, our brains engage in a complex neural dance that simultaneously activates auditory processing regions, motor planning areas, emotional centers, and memory systems. This widespread neural activation explains why music can trigger powerful emotional responses, enhance cognitive function, and even help rebuild damaged brain circuits after injury or disease. The brain processes music through specialized neural networks that begin in the cochlea of the inner ear and extend through the auditory cortex into regions governing emotion, memory, and movement. What makes music particularly powerful is its temporal structure—the brain must track patterns unfolding over time, creating a continuous prediction and reward cycle that keeps neural circuits highly engaged. When a musical sequence resolves as expected, the brain's reward system releases dopamine, creating pleasure; when music surprises us with unexpected variations, the anterior cingulate cortex activates, heightening attention and emotional response. This explains why music can simultaneously comfort us with familiarity and excite us with novelty. Sound frequencies themselves directly influence brainwave patterns through a process called entrainment. When exposed to rhythmic sounds, neural oscillations tend to synchronize with these external rhythms. Binaural beats, which present slightly different frequencies to each ear, create a perceived "beat" that can shift brainwave patterns toward states associated with relaxation, focus, or creativity. Research shows that specific sound frequencies can induce delta waves (associated with deep sleep), alpha waves (relaxed alertness), or gamma waves (heightened cognition), offering promising applications for conditions ranging from insomnia to attention disorders. Music's influence on memory is particularly fascinating. Patients with Alzheimer's disease who can no longer recognize family members often respond to music from their youth, sometimes even recalling lyrics and associated memories. This phenomenon occurs because musical memories are stored differently than declarative memories, involving procedural memory circuits in the cerebellum and basal ganglia that remain relatively preserved even as the hippocampus deteriorates. The emotional content of music also enhances memory formation and retrieval by activating the amygdala, which tags experiences with emotional significance, making them more likely to be stored and recalled later. For individuals recovering from stroke or traumatic brain injury, music therapy leverages neuroplasticity to rebuild damaged circuits. When stroke patients with speech impairments engage in melodic intonation therapy—essentially singing rather than speaking phrases—they activate intact right-hemisphere pathways that can gradually compensate for damaged left-hemisphere language areas. Studies show that stroke patients receiving music therapy regain verbal abilities significantly faster than those receiving only standard speech therapy. Similarly, rhythmic auditory stimulation helps Parkinson's patients improve their gait by providing external timing cues that bypass damaged basal ganglia circuits. Perhaps most remarkably, music training in childhood creates lasting changes in brain structure and function that enhance cognitive abilities across domains. Children who receive musical training show enhanced development of the corpus callosum—the bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain's hemispheres—leading to improved communication between analytical and creative brain regions. This neural integration translates to measurable cognitive benefits, with musically trained children demonstrating superior performance on tasks requiring executive function, language processing, and mathematical reasoning—benefits that persist into adulthood even if musical training stops.

Chapter 5: Art as Medicine: Physical Benefits of Aesthetic Engagement

The healing power of aesthetics extends far beyond psychological well-being—it physically transforms our bodies at the cellular level. Recent research reveals that aesthetic experiences trigger cascades of physiological changes that can reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, manage pain, and even slow disease progression. These findings are revolutionizing healthcare by demonstrating that art isn't just a pleasant distraction but a powerful medical intervention with measurable biological effects. Pain management represents one of the most promising applications of aesthetic medicine. Chronic pain affects approximately 30% of people globally, yet remains challenging to treat because it involves complex neural pathways influenced by psychological factors. Aesthetic interventions work through several mechanisms simultaneously to interrupt pain circuits. Virtual reality programs like SnowWorld, developed for burn patients undergoing excruciating wound care, have reduced pain intensity by 35-50% by immersing patients in cooling, soothing visual environments. Brain imaging confirms that these aesthetic interventions decrease neural activity in regions associated with pain processing while increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate pain perception. The immune system responds powerfully to aesthetic experiences through psychoneuroimmunological pathways. When we engage with art that moves us emotionally, our bodies produce fewer inflammatory cytokines and more anti-inflammatory compounds. A groundbreaking study at University College London found that just two hours of cultural engagement per week was associated with a 31% lower risk of dying early compared to those who didn't engage with arts. Even accounting for socioeconomic factors, this protective effect remained significant, suggesting that aesthetic experiences trigger physiological changes that enhance immune function and overall resilience. For neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease, dance has emerged as a powerful intervention. The Dance for PD program has demonstrated how dance improves motor symptoms by engaging multiple brain regions simultaneously. When people with Parkinson's dance, their tremors subside and their gait improves because dance marshals the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and motor cortex—the very regions affected by the disease. A three-year study confirmed that weekly dance classes significantly improved speech, tremors, balance, and rigidity compared to non-dancing controls. The aesthetic elements of dance—music, social interaction, and expressive movement—appear to enhance its therapeutic effects beyond what exercise alone provides. Perhaps the most cutting-edge application of aesthetics in physical healing comes from MIT neuroscientist Li-Huei Tsai's work on Alzheimer's disease. Her research found that exposing mice with Alzheimer's to light flickering at 40 Hz (a specific gamma brain wave frequency) for just one hour dramatically reduced amyloid plaques in their brains. Adding sound at the same frequency enhanced these effects, reducing both amyloid and tau tangles while improving cognition. This non-invasive approach works by synchronizing brain oscillations, which appears to activate the brain's waste-clearance systems. Clinical trials in humans are now underway, offering a potential non-pharmaceutical treatment for this devastating disease. The physical environment itself can function as medicine when designed with aesthetic principles in mind. Hospitals incorporating biophilic design elements—natural light, views of nature, harmonious proportions—show measurable improvements in patient outcomes, including shorter hospital stays, reduced pain medication use, and lower rates of hospital-acquired infections. A landmark study by Roger Ulrich found that surgery patients with views of nature required less pain medication and recovered faster than those facing brick walls. These effects occur because aesthetically pleasing environments reduce stress hormones like cortisol while increasing production of healing compounds like oxytocin and endorphins.

Chapter 6: Building Community Through Shared Aesthetic Experiences

Shared aesthetic experiences create powerful bonds between people by activating neural mechanisms that enhance empathy and social cohesion. When we participate in collective arts activities—whether singing in a choir, dancing together, or viewing art in a museum—our brains synchronize in remarkable ways. This phenomenon, known as neural entrainment, occurs when our bodies and brain waves naturally align with others around us. Researchers have observed this synchronization using EEG measurements of brain activity during group music-making, showing how aesthetic experiences literally bring us into harmony with one another. The neurochemistry of shared aesthetic experiences helps explain their community-building power. When people engage with art together, their brains release oxytocin—often called the "bonding hormone"—which promotes trust, empathy, and prosocial behavior. A groundbreaking study at University College London found that singing in groups triggered significantly higher oxytocin release than singing alone, with corresponding increases in reported feelings of social connection. This neurochemical bonding helps explain why communities throughout human history have used shared aesthetic rituals—from tribal dances to religious ceremonies to concert attendance—to strengthen social cohesion. Shared aesthetic experiences also activate the brain's default mode network (DMN), which plays a crucial role in social cognition and perspective-taking. When the DMN activates during collective aesthetic engagement, it enhances our ability to understand others' mental states and experiences. Neuroimaging studies show that after people share aesthetic experiences, they demonstrate increased activity in brain regions associated with empathy and social understanding when thinking about those who shared the experience with them. This neural reconfiguration helps explain why communities with strong shared aesthetic traditions often demonstrate greater social cohesion and collective resilience. The arts have unique power to bridge social divides by creating shared emotional experiences that transcend cultural, political, and socioeconomic boundaries. Neuroimaging studies show that when we witness someone else's emotional experience through art—whether in theatre, film, or literature—our brains activate many of the same regions as if we were having that experience ourselves. This neural mirroring builds empathy by allowing us to temporarily step into another's perspective. In diverse communities, these shared aesthetic experiences create what sociologist Emile Durkheim called "collective effervescence"—a heightened sense of connection and shared purpose that transcends individual differences. Public art and cultural spaces serve as vital infrastructure for community well-being. Cities that invest in accessible arts experiences see measurable improvements in social cohesion, civic engagement, and even public health outcomes. One study found that neighborhoods with higher concentrations of cultural resources had lower rates of child abuse, obesity, and crime. These benefits occur because aesthetic environments encourage positive social interactions, reduce stress, and create shared identity. From community murals to interactive installations, public art transforms how people relate to their environment and to each other by creating common reference points and shared experiences. The community-building power of shared aesthetics proves particularly valuable during times of social fragmentation or collective trauma. After natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or other community traumas, spontaneous artistic responses—memorial murals, community concerts, collective poetry—emerge almost universally. These shared aesthetic experiences activate neural circuits for emotional processing and meaning-making, helping communities integrate traumatic events into collective narratives. Neurologically, this shared processing distributes the emotional burden across many brains, preventing any individual from becoming overwhelmed and facilitating collective healing through co-regulated emotional processing.

Chapter 7: Designing for Well-being: Applied Neuroaesthetics

Applied neuroaesthetics translates scientific insights about how our brains respond to beauty into practical design principles that enhance human well-being. This emerging field is transforming everything from healthcare facilities to educational spaces to urban planning, creating environments that support optimal brain function and psychological flourishing. By understanding the neurobiological mechanisms behind aesthetic responses, designers can create spaces that reduce stress, enhance cognitive performance, facilitate healing, and promote social connection. The built environment profoundly influences our neural and mental processes, often in ways we don't consciously recognize. Architectural features like ceiling height, natural light, and spatial organization directly affect our cognitive function and emotional state. High ceilings activate neural networks associated with abstract thinking and creativity, while lower ceilings enhance focused attention on detail-oriented tasks. Natural light regulates our circadian rhythms by influencing melatonin production, while views of nature activate parasympathetic nervous system responses that reduce stress and enhance recovery. These effects aren't merely subjective preferences; they reflect biological realities about how our brains process environmental information. Healthcare facilities represent one of the most important applications of neuroaesthetic design. Hospitals incorporating biophilic design elements—natural materials, views of nature, harmonious proportions—show measurable improvements in patient outcomes, including shorter hospital stays, reduced pain medication use, and lower rates of hospital-acquired infections. A landmark study by Roger Ulrich found that surgery patients with views of nature required less pain medication and recovered faster than those facing brick walls. These effects occur because aesthetically pleasing environments reduce stress hormones like cortisol while increasing production of healing compounds like oxytocin and endorphins. Educational environments designed with neuroaesthetic principles enhance learning by optimizing brain function. Research shows that classrooms with adequate natural light, good acoustics, appropriate temperature, and visual complexity (without chaos) improve student attention, memory, and creative thinking. One study found that students in classrooms with more natural light progressed 20% faster in math and 26% faster in reading compared to students in classrooms with less natural light. These effects occur because well-designed learning environments reduce cognitive load from environmental stressors while providing appropriate sensory stimulation that enhances neural engagement with learning materials. Workplace design represents another frontier for applied neuroaesthetics. Companies like Google and Apple invest heavily in aesthetically pleasing workspaces because research shows that such environments enhance creativity, collaboration, and employee well-being. Spaces designed with varied textures, appropriate color palettes, acoustic management, and elements of nature reduce stress while increasing cognitive flexibility and social interaction. A study by Human Spaces found that employees working in environments with natural elements reported 15% higher levels of well-being, 6% higher productivity, and 15% more creativity than those in environments without such elements. Urban planning increasingly incorporates neuroaesthetic principles to create cities that support psychological health. Research shows that urban environments with high visual complexity (varied architecture, public art, green spaces) but good coherence (logical organization, clear navigation) reduce stress and enhance cognitive function compared to visually monotonous or chaotic environments. Cities like Singapore have pioneered "biophilic urbanism," integrating nature throughout the built environment through vertical gardens, green roofs, and accessible parks. These approaches recognize that our brains evolved in natural environments and continue to function optimally when connected to natural elements, even in dense urban settings. The most effective applications of neuroaesthetics recognize individual differences in aesthetic preferences and needs. While certain principles (like the benefits of natural light and views of nature) apply broadly across populations, other aspects of environmental design may need customization for specific users or purposes. Adaptive environments that can be modified to suit different activities or preferences represent the cutting edge of neuroaesthetic design. From lighting systems that adjust color temperature throughout the day to support circadian rhythms, to acoustic treatments that can be reconfigured for different activities, these flexible approaches acknowledge the dynamic relationship between our brains and our surroundings.

Summary

The neuroaesthetics revolution reveals that art and beauty are not mere cultural luxuries but biological necessities that physically transform our brains and bodies. Through neuroplasticity, aesthetic experiences create new neural pathways that enhance our mental health, physical well-being, learning capacity, and social connections. From reducing stress hormones through music to improving motor function through dance to building empathy through shared cultural experiences, the arts work through hundreds of biological mechanisms simultaneously to promote healing and human flourishing. What makes this scientific understanding so revolutionary is how it bridges disciplines that have long been separated in Western thought. By revealing the biological foundations of aesthetic experience, neuroaesthetics unites science and art in addressing our most pressing human challenges. How might our educational systems transform if we designed them around the brain's natural affinity for aesthetic engagement? What new treatments might emerge if healthcare fully incorporated the healing power of beauty and creativity? And how might our communities strengthen if we prioritized shared aesthetic experiences as essential infrastructure rather than optional amenities? The emerging science suggests that twenty minutes of meaningful aesthetic engagement each day might be as important for our health as exercise and nutrition—a prescription for beauty that could transform both individual lives and society at large.

About Author

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Susan Magsamen

Director of Interdisciplinary Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Brain Science Institute. She works across the university and beyond to collaborate on programs that bring evidence-based brain science knowledge and practice to a range of communities. Susan Magsamen is an award-winning writer and advisor on family and children’s issues with a special interest in creativity and learning. She is founder and president of Curiosityville and FamilyStories. Her body of work has earned hundreds of national awards and recognition from child development experts and parenting associations, including Oppenheim Awards, Parents’ Choice, Family Fun, National Association of Parenting Publications Awards, Hearthsong, and the prestigious Canadian Toy Council Award. Susan was the Chair of the Wondertime Magazine Editorial Advisory Council, a national child development magazine for families that shares relevant research in practical ways. In 1988, Susan founded Curiosity Kits, a multi-sensory, hands-on learning activity company. Susan’s books and programs have been called "a beautiful celebration of family life", empowering parents and children to connect with each other, with other families and with the world around them. Susan’s work is widely recognized as fostering and enhancing the ways we learn, play, create, and grow as individuals, families and communities.Susan's approach to creating enriching learning environments at home, after-school and in the community combines interdisciplinary, evidence-based research with practical, applicable ideas and programs. She regularly brings together scientists, educators, parents, psychologists, advocates, policy makers, educational media and others to share their perspectives on topics that matter including education, family life, careers and more. Then, through a series of communications platforms – from books to videos, radio to speaker series – Susan brings this knowledge, insight and ideas to those who need it to inform, inspire and educate. In her capacity as director of Interdisciplinary Programs at Johns Hopkins University’s Brain Sciences Institute, she fosters dialogue among educators, families and researchers in the brain sciences.Susan is president of Play for Tomorrow and the Ultimate Block Party and co-director of the Center for Re-Imaging Children’s Learning and Education (CiRCLE) at Temple University and one of the founders of the Ultimate Block Party and L_rn. She co-founded the Neuro-Education Initiative at Johns Hopkins School of Education and serves on national and international boards for several organizations, including AEMS (Arts Education in Maryland Schools). Susan is a recent guest editor for the IMBES (International Mind, Brain and Education Society) on arts, creativity and learning. Author of seven books for families, Susan recently published with National Geographic The Classic Treasury of Childhood Wonders.Susan received Masters degrees in Communications and Business from Johns Hopkins University.Susan and her husband, Rick Huganir, professor and director of the Department of Neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University live in an old, converted mill with their two gentle and loving lab dogs and big cats. Their four children are all amazingly creative including Nikki a graphic designer, Sam a composer and musician, Adam a self-described renaissance and gadget guy, and Ben, a creative writer and athlete.

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