Trust me on that title. They all come together somehow in this post.
Just a couple of weeks ago, there was a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience that linked listening to moving music with the release of the feel-good chemical, dopamine, within our brains.
Dopamine provides us with feelings of motivation, enjoyment and happiness. Food and sex release dopamine...
So, it wasn't really any surprise to me to learn that listening to the best parts of your favorite music releases dopamine.
Anyone who has jogged while listening to their iPod knows this. Somehow, a hill seems a lot easier to climb with Aretha Franklin blaring "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" in my ear. I only have to think about the Rocky song, Gonna Fly Now, and I can see Rocky Balboa sprinting through the pre-dawn streets of Philadelphia...and I AM...Rocky Balboa.
But I digress...Why am I telling you this?
Well, the study discovered something else that was very interesting.
Not only was dopamine released during the listening to the actual music...
But it was also released in the anticipation of listening.
And there it is. Eureka.
Anticipation of Pleasurable Activity = Dopamine Release
I can't help but extrapolate what we all know. I mean, it's not such a jump to conclude...
Anticipating the start of a new and exciting needlework project makes us happy. Ergo,
New Needlework Project = Dopamine Release
We know that, don't we. But the study's conclusions made me think that this dopamine release might explain why we get so much pleasure from starting...and not so much pleasure from finishing...
Of course, if those two equations are true...it makes me wonder about this one...
New Needlework Project = Sex (?)
But I'll let you decide that one.
Now to the subject of today's post (yes...there is a message to deliver here somewhere)...
About 10 months ago, I signed up to participate in Jane Crowfoot's 2011 Crochet Club mystery which I had read about on Ravelry.
When I signed up, these were the only pics I had to go on to decide to join the club or not.
I loved the pattern, loved the colors, loved the beads...
And I loved that it was cotton (I'm allergic to wool)...
But, most of all, I love surprises...so I signed up.
And forgot all about it.
Until my yarn arrived last week. And my first pattern arrived in my inbox.
I'm starting a new crochet project and the happy chemicals are flowing.
Anticipation. New balls of yarn. A Mystery Project.
All. Make. Me. Happy. And. Motivated.
Hey, it's cheaper than drugs...I think.
