Can a Brain Injury Unlock Creativity? A personal journey of healing, color, and rediscovery
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Today at a meeting I was asked, “Did you notice you got more creative after your brain injury?”
And the answer is… yes. So much yes.
It might sound surprising… but for many people, a brain injury doesn’t just take something away it also awakens something new.
After a traumatic brain injury (TBI), some people experience a profound shift in how they see, feel, and express the world. Suddenly, the right side of the brain, the part associated with creativity, intuition, emotion, and artistic expression begins to speak louder.
🎨 People who never considered themselves “artistic” may begin painting, writing poetry, playing music, or creating in entirely new ways.
💡 And this isn’t just anecdotal, it’s backed by science. Our brains are neuroplastic, meaning they can rewire and adapt after injury. New connections form. Hidden parts awaken. And for some, this includes previously untapped creative gifts.
The Art of Becoming
For many survivors, creativity becomes more than just a talent. It becomes a lifeline, a way to process emotions, rediscover identity, and communicate what words can’t always express.
As someone who has walked this path, I can say with certainty: yes, a brain injury can unlock creativity and in my case, it changed everything.
My Story: From Broken to Becoming
After I experienced a traumatic brain injury, my world shifted.
Tasks I once did without thinking became exhausting. My brain was tired, foggy, overstimulated, and unrecognizable. It was disorienting and often discouraging.
But somewhere in that silence, something changed.
I found myself drawn to color - bold, vibrant, unapologetic color. I began experimenting with texture, light, and abstract forms, searching for ways to express what I couldn’t quite put into words. That’s how I discovered encaustic painting, an ancient method using molten wax and pigments. It all started as art threapy.
And something inside me clicked.
What began as an experiment quickly became my sanctuary. The wax, the heat, the flow, it helped me process pain, grief, and change. It gave me back a sense of self when so much felt lost. My creativity didn’t just return; it emerged for the first time, deeply connected to my soul.
Honoring the Analytical Side
What’s interesting is that while my right-brain creativity expanded, the left-brain part of me the analytical, logical side didn’t completely disappear. But it did change.
I’m not as sharp with certain analytical tasks things like numbers, multitasking, staying focused, memory or fast-paced problem-solving can still be difficult. But what I’ve come to realize is that my brain found a new way to work. The structure and flow of encaustic painting, for example layering, melting, timing, temperature still require focus and precision. My love for patterns and order didn’t vanish; it just expressed itself differently.
It’s like both sides of my brain had to learn a new way to function. And instead of fighting to be who I was before, I started honoring who I was becoming.
Even in the fog, there was intuition. Even in the slowness, there was wisdom. This blend of softness and structure has helped me not only heal, but grow into a more soul-led, higher version of myself.
Creativity Through Grief and Loss
It’s not just brain injury that can open the door to creativity grief does, too.
When we experience deep loss, something within us often breaks open. The structure of our old life collapses, and suddenly, we’re left sitting in the quiet, asking who we are now.
In that raw, vulnerable space, creation begins.
For many, grief becomes a portal to painting, poetry, music, or movement. We begin making art not because we feel whole but because we don’t. Because we need somewhere to put the pain. Because beauty becomes the only language that feels true.
That’s how it was for me, too. Losing my mom, facing chronic illness, and walking through waves of grief deepened everything. It brought even more color, emotion, and soul into my work. Not polished. Not perfect. But real. Healing.
So whether you’re grieving a person, a life you once knew, or a version of yourself you had to let go, know that your creativity isn’t separate from your sorrow. It’s part of your healing. Part of your remembering. Part of your becoming.
The Quiet Gift in the Chaos
I believe my brain injury quieted the noise of who I thought I was supposed to be, and made space for who I really was underneath.
Someone intuitive. Emotional. Expressive. Someone whose healing would come through art and whose purpose would grow from that healing.
Today, my business Alisa Marie Art and Design is built on the very gifts that rose from that dark season.
I create encaustic art, healing jewelry, color energy readings, and offerings that speak to the soul. Everything I share now every painting, poem, or pendant, is a piece from that journey.
From Injury to Inspiration
If you or someone you love has experienced a shift in creativity after trauma or loss, know this: You are not broken. You are becoming.
Sometimes the cracks are where the light and color pours in.
And sometimes, healing looks like starting over, with paint on your hands and hope in your heart.
💛 Thank you for reading.
If this resonates, I’d love to hear all about it. Drop a comment below or connect with me in my Healing Through Colors Group.
💕Alisa Marie