Seek Beauty: How Neuroaesthetics Shows Us That “Superficial” Isn’t Such A Bad Thing

What if caring about beautiful things isn’t frivolous at all? Research suggests our brains are wired to notice, seek and respond to beauty.

The other day I heard a term for the first time that made so much of what I’ve been contemplating more recently make sense - neuroaesthetics. 

I’ve spent 15+ years working in marketing, so I appreciate colours, shapes, treatments and typography perhaps more than some. I also worked in fashion as a side quest for over a decade, so I understand the power of personal styling. Personally, I also adore food and interior styling. From food to furniture, I firmly believe that being intentional about even physical things transforms your sense of calm, clarity, creativity and happiness.

Beauty is something I’ve had on my mind more than ever lately. From the perfect type to colour combinations, even the garnish on a dish. I’ve paid more attention to it everywhere than ever, and at times felt guilty caring so much about aesthetics. 

While some pockets of culture, brands and creators place more emphasis on beauty than many, for the most part, we often treat aesthetics as something superficial. Meaningless compared to much more serious things.

The other day, a friend came bearing flowers - roses - my forever favourite. My late dad lovingly grew them; for years I lived across from one of South Australia’s most stunning rose gardens; and single white roses were the theme of our wedding. For the week that followed, the simple yet generous gesture brought me more joy than I could imagine. Every time I’d see them, their beauty would momentarily light up my heart - and it turns out my brain.

1. Neuroaesthetics: How Beauty Lights Up the Brain

Neuroaesthetics is the study of how our brains respond to beauty and aesthetic experiences. If you’re already familiar with the term, well done on being not as late to the party as me!

Researchers are interested in what happens neurologically when we encounter something we find beautiful, pleasing, moving or compelling.

The more I learn, the more I realise that this isn't really about discovering why roses are beautiful, or proving that one particular shade of beige is objectively better than another. It's about understanding something much more interesting. It’s that beauty - whatever your standards - makes you feel something. We don't simply see a beautiful thing and register it intellectually. We experience it. Our brains process visual information, but we’re also bringing in: 

• Emotion

• Memory

• Associations

• Familiarity

• Context

• Personal meaning

And there is no universal beauty standard. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While a brutalist building can be the centre of one person’s Instagram grid,  it might make another cringe. While a character home admired by many, might feel stuffy and dated to another. Something can leave one person completely cold and make another person stop in their tracks. What’s most important about neuroaesthetics is not the standard of beauty, but your response to it.

My roses are a perfect example. Objectively, they're just roses. But to me, they represent so much more than a physical flower. They represent my late dad cutting his home-grown favourites for my sister and me, the garden outside our apartment where I spent years walking, and my marriage.

So when I look at these flowers sitting in my house, I'm not simply seeing pretty petals. I'm seeing memory, love, places I've lived and moments I've experienced. The roses have accumulated meaning. And suddenly, neuroaesthetics makes a lot more sense.

Beauty isn’t simply activated in one area of the brain. Researchers in neuroaesthetics had initially looked for a particular brain region that lights up when we see something beautiful. But the evidence now suggests that aesthetic experience is distributed across interacting systems rather than being isolated in one “beauty centre”.

A commonly used model describes three interacting systems:

Sensory–motor system
Processes what you're actually seeing, hearing or physically experiencing. The colour, shape, movement, composition, texture, etc.

Emotion–valuation system
Helps determine “I like this”, “This feels good”, “This is rewarding”, or “This is beautiful”.

Meaning–knowledge system
Brings in memory, knowledge, associations, culture, context and personal experience.

These systems interact rather than operate independently. And this is where it gets fascinating for style and branding.

2. Building an Aesthetic World 

We might criticise younger generations for caring so much more about aesthetics than we did growing up. But there's something fascinating happening culturally: aesthetics has become more explicit, searchable and identity-forming through Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, etc. “Clean girl”, “Old Money”, “Mob Wife” and the list goes on, essentially turning aesthetics into identity categories.

It’s a trend more professionals and business brands should be paying attention to. The next time you find yourself judging someone’s OOTD mirror selfies, profile picture or food photos, pause. And ask yourself if maybe they’re simply more in touch with the power of aesthetics, beauty and creativity.

Take the brand Rhode. The billion-dollar brain child of Hailey Bieber. As I discussed in my earlier blog on Cultural Capital: The Hidden Advantage Shaping Modern Success, the mega influencer was a master worldbuilder. She created the “Clean girl”, “IT girl“ aesthetic and lifestyle long before and alongside her brand building. 

Rhode isn't simply selling skincare and lip products. It has created a recognisable aesthetic world. The colours. The textures. The minimal packaging. The photography. The styling. The now-iconic lipgloss phone case. You can recognise the world before you necessarily recognise the individual product. That's incredibly powerful.

We're naturally drawn to things that create a sense of coherence. The same principle applies to personal branding. Your photography, wardrobe, LinkedIn presence, website, office, presentation style and even the way you communicate can collectively create an aesthetic impression. Not because there's some magical formula for making people like you. But because humans are pattern-recognition machines. We were visual beings long before we were verbal ones. We notice when things feel cohesive. We notice when they feel intentional. We notice beauty.

Your aesthetics matter for how people experience you, and your own personal experience of this life. Think about a beautifully plated meal at a restaurant. The colours of the food, the texture of the table, the lighting, the glassware.  None of these things technically changes the ingredients, but they change your experience of them.

So before you dismiss aesthetics as frivolous or fleeting, think again. Pay attention to what, even momentarily, lights you up.

Consider: 

• What colours make you feel most alive or at peace?

• What shapes are you most drawn to?

• What clothes do you feel most confident in?

• What objects carry meaningful symbolism for you?

• What fonts or unique pairings pique your interest?

It could give you clues for your aesthetic lifestyle goals or be the secret to what makes your personal brand or business brand truly you - one that might connect with others too. 

To be more intentional about your visual style and identity, see my earlier blogs: 

• Level up your visual brand: Creating a signature visual style identity for your personal brand

• How to create a signature colour palette for your personal brand: Elevating your visual identity

Bold and Beautiful

So perhaps, we should stop dismissing beauty as superficial. And instead, seek it, notice it, create more of it. In our clothes, our homes, our work, our brands, our food. In the little moments that make an ordinary life feel extraordinary. Because beauty may not dramatically change your circumstances, but it can change how you experience them.