A good piece of art can be the “spine” of its chosen viewers. It can select, provoke, inspire, nurture, and excite its audience.  

I’ve read art referenced as, “…a necessary escape and refuge of the mind from the chaos and trouble-ridden world.” I’m not too sure I like that description. It leans towards locking art into a recreational activity from reality. 

“The arts matter because we matter, and our stories matter. We are moving miracles, walking creators engaging in a cosmic dance. The art we express is timeless.” –Mohammed Sheriff

I like how Mary Boone explains it, “I don’t really believe that art is escapist. I believe that art provides a sensory experience that, on the contrary, can be restorative… What one needs is the curiosity and the desire to truly see and feel. To perhaps be a bit uncomfortable as you learn to decipher how different art works make you feel, but to learn that on the other side of that discomfort lies pleasure – the pleasure of discovering a work that “speaks” to you, or the pleasure that comes from simply gazing at something beautiful.”

So, why should you care about it? 

Well, let’s look at some fun facts:

• -Arts improve individual well-being. 63 percent of the population believe the arts “lift me beyond everyday experiences,” 64 percent feel the arts give them “pure pleasure to experience and participate in,” and 73 percent say the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world.”
• -The arts unify communities. 67 percent of Americans believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity” and 62 percent agree that the arts “help me understand other cultures better”-a perspective observed across all demographic and economic categories.
• -Access to art is linked to better health, safety, and education in lower-income neighborhoods.
• -Art Therapy shows promise as a means of treating hard-to-treat symptoms of combat-related PTSD, such as avoidance and emotional numbing, while also addressing the underlying psychological situation that gives rise to these symptoms.

“One of the most valuable form of stress reduction and relaxation is the enjoyment or practice of art.” To me, it sounds like the beginning of a solution to long term problems. That’s the hurdle advocates face, the misunderstanding of long term importance because of short term ideology. It matters because of the emotions it invokes.

Emotions and intentions are what anchor art to us. 

“The arts matter because they extend our lives. I’m not talking about years added–though certain artists, through their creations, can claim a type of immortality. Rather, the arts allow us fully to inhabit other personalities, perspectives, and states of perception. The arts thus elongate human experience. And while it can’t be displayed on a standard chronology, who’s to say this qualitative increase in life doesn’t translate to a quantitative one?” – Sunil Iyengar

So, would you like more art in your life? Talk to me, how would you do it? Will you venture down to your local art walk and bring your friends? Would you finally go, take that yoga or dance class you’ve always wanted to try? Could you rent out a studio space to photograph the composition in your head?

Dare to see that there is more to you, that is the art of your originality.

To see more of my art work please visit www.bwfineartphotography.com