Creative Spirit Blog February 28, 2023, The Power of Art

"Remembering" Pastel over Watercolor

“Art is a spiritual function of man, which aims at freeing him from life’s chaos”. Kirk Schwitters

Have you ever experienced a work of art and could not explain the feeling that it gave you? This ultimately comes down to an inner connection with the artists story, their voice,

and their experience. It’s no secret that art can impact lots of people’s lives in very meaningful and deep ways. Art is part of what historians deem necessary for a group of people to be considered a society!

I was in a position lately where I had to defend the arts, not only as an important tool for learning, but as an essential part of life. Art is not a hobby that some do and other don’t. Art is all around us and is essential to life and our wellbeing. Art shapes the world around us and almost everything we experience. It impacts what’s on the T.V., what we see in our textbooks, what comes on our radio, and what we see and hear on our digital devises.

The arts give us meaning and helps us understand our world, whether it is music, visual art, dance, or literature. It improves our quality of life and makes us feel good! It can transform our lives because when we connect with art we are ultimately connecting with our inner selves. It enables us to look within and listen to our inner being. It connects us to our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and the realities of life on a deeper level.

When we create art, we elevate our mood, we improve our ability to problem solve, and open our mind to new ideas. As our mood improves, it also allows our attention span to expand and allows us to see possible solutions to problems in a more creative way.

Think about how music affects us. How it can change out mood, energize us to do something.

Visual art can produce a lot of the same effects that music does. General feelings of happiness and calmness can be found and utilized via art therapy. Many people use these benefits of art to quell distress and solve problems in their own lives. Through that expression, we communicate by drawing on our own unique emotions, thoughts, and experiences.

It can broaden our knowledge and challenge our assumptions; while it helps soothe, calm, enlighten, and uplift the mind and spirit. And, if it leaves us uncomfortable it can help us to think differently and help us develop a new perspective. When you see and study another's art, you're seeing the world through their eyes. When you create, you're letting the world see through yours.

It also helps us process our emotions and understand our surroundings. It allows us to see life from a different perspective and it makes us feel alive. Art has always been an important part of human society since the beginning of time. Art has been used as a tool for cultural exchange, education, expression. Art is a recording of our society and the history of our civilization.

Some other benefits of the arts are that it can relieve stress and provide opportunities to connect and socialize with others. There are many studies that show that creating art can benefit your mental health and improve brain elasticity.

At its most profound level, it takes us from the everyday to a place of introspection and contemplation, to see the bigger picture of the human condition like it did for Kurt Schwitters. If you are not familiar with Kirk Schwitters, he is considered the father of the art of collage. Although he worked across an array of genres, he is best known for his collage work. In the wake of World War I, he collected garbage from the streets to use as material, creating heartfelt and often sentimental works from the most unlikely of components. His work from this period took the remains of devastating conflict and transformed them into art. For him, the creation process was spiritual, a way to step free of life’s chaos, and bring pieces of the world together instead of ripping them apart.

Embrace the arts! Carolyn