Want to improve your ability to use memory techniques almost overnight? I promise it's super-easy. All you need is the willingness to support your nearest art gallery and your awareness of the following 17 reasons going to an art gallery is good for your memory.
1. Art Inspires Your Visual Imagination
When you're using memory techniques, you draw upon visual imagination. Even if you're only using words in your mind when developing mnemonics, you're using visual words.
The more visual iconography you've seen in your life, the more potency the visual words you use will hold. Exposure equals experience. Experience leads to substance. When you use the words "run," "hit" or any other verb, the more art you've seen, the great depth of meaning these words will have.
2. Art Depicts Words Used In Visual Ways
If you've been to an art gallery lately, you've undoubtedly seen how modern artists use words. Pop artists use comic strips. Futurists made a big deal out of typefaces. You don't even have to enter an art gallery to see words used in graffiti on nearly every street in your city.
Looking at art and paying attention to how artists use words is especially great for inspiring how you can use your visual imagination to memorize foreign language vocabulary and phrases. Next time you're in an art gallery, pay particular attention to how words appear in the exhibits.
3. Art Helps You Make Mental Connections Between Space And Material Objects
Looking at art is never just about "looking." As your eyes meet the graphic displays, ideas emerge. In fact, "art" happens the moment that you start thinking about what you're looking at or noticing your emotional responses.
You can become conscious of what you're thinking and feeling and use your awareness to become more visual. Reflect on how the visual experience has triggered your thoughts and responses.
Also, journal what you've thought while at the gallery. By writing down your responses, you access your memory. Accessing your memory exercises your mind, which helps keep it fit.
4. Visiting Art Galleries Makes You Aware Of World Geography
It's not just that art often depicts different parts of the world. Art galleries also exhibit art by international artists.
Pay attention to the international names and locations of where the art originates. This will exercise your geographical imagination and give you more facts to remember. It's also great memory exercise to remember the names of the artists you see and include their home countries.
For bonus points, you can also use the Major Method to add the dates of their lives and when they created the pieces you're admiring. The more experienced you become with memory techniques, the more information you can memorize at a single go.
Plus, the location of the art itself within the gallery amounts to a Memory Palace station. Using the location gives you great practice at using your spatial memory in addition to all the other tools mnemonics draw upon, such as association, semantic memory, episodic memory and the like.
5. Art Galleries Are Depositories Of History
Yes, you can memorize the raw data of dates when going to an art gallery. But you also expose your memory to information about historical periods.
Artists love to reference other eras and historical events. Some artists have even made careers out of referencing history. Fluency in art equals fluency in history, which is always good for your memory.
6. Art Galleries Exercise Your Ability To Create Meaning
Let's face it: A lot of art doesn't make much sense.
At least, that's until you give it some thought and learn about how to interpret art. Believe me.
Published on 9 years, 1 month ago
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