When Animals Create Art, What Are They Thinking and Feeling?
Briefly

The article explores how various animals, like pigs and parrots, spontaneously engage in painting and drawing. These creative acts appear to reflect their moods and can be visually contagious across species. Joanne Lefson, a prominent advocate for animal art, emphasizes that art serves as enrichment for captive animals. Referencing figures like Jane Goodall and her own experiences with animals like Pigcasso and Baansky, Lefson illustrates the potential for a deeper understanding of animal emotions through their artistic expressions. This emerging field challenges our perceptions of creativity and intelligence in the animal kingdom.
Many animals spontaneously engage in artistic activities, demonstrating their creativity without the expectation of reward, highlighting their instinctual need to express themselves.
Artistic behaviors among different species, observed in settings like sanctuaries, suggest that creativity isn't confined to humans and may serve as enrichment for the animals.
Read at Psychology Today
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