When we learn a new skill the brain has to work hard – it is a consciously directed process requiring frequent repetition and the expenditure of energy. But once it is learnt, the skill – the motor and sensory coordination of muscles by the brain – becomes unconscious, fast and efficient. Only a small area of the brain is activated when the skill is exercised, although at the same time it has been shown, for instance, that professional pianists’ brains develop larger hand areas than the brains of amateur pianists. To learn is to restructure your brain.
