Week 13 — Essay 2 — Art!
Before taking Art 110 I thought that art was an idea that was expressed in any format that an artist could come out with. Whether that be a complicated painting or a poem and everything in between, that is art; an expression of a creator.
My idea has slightly changed what art is. Art is more than just an expression at times. Sometimes it could be trying to reach its audience with a meaningful message and at other times it could have no meaning at all. Either way, it makes an impression on the viewer. In other words, it’s not just about what the artist wanted to say, but how people perceive it and how the artist wants their audience to perceive it.
Art means creating what you feel the strongest at the moment. Whether it’s just a feeling or an idea, it’s the ability to express it with anything that you think best suits it. Art comes in so many different forms. It could be a painting, a sculpture, a song, a knitted item, or even a collection of things. The things that could express art are endless. Art is expressing what you envision or feel into something one can experience.
The major I am in is Communications. My major allows me to do a lot of things, which is why it is one of the more broad majors provided. Essentially, I work interpersonally with others to create the best product for the company. I relay information to all in order to get everyone working together in the most efficient way. My career goal is to be able to work with others to create new ideas that will best help the company I work for. All in all, I just want to be able to be as creative as possible. I think art, aesthetics, and design are very important in my career because in order to express my creativity I need to be able to express my ideas onto paper and present them. If I was running a new campaign or such, I would need to create and understand the aesthetic that would go with it and design something that would best fit the company image. So in turn, art is something I need in my career.
I think that art is a good way to escape from working all the time. It’s fun to just sit and doodle at times and just be able to think of something other than words and numbers. Sometimes after drawing and discovering new types of arts and designs, it inspires me to think of another idea that will further aid me. Art inspires better ideas.
Engaging with artworks and art ideas does make me a more complete human being because it allows me to appreciate the little things and the places I haven’t explored. It also allows me to glance a little at how others think and see things from their perspectives at times. What I see and understand may be much more different for someone else, and sometimes we need to be reminded of other perspectives we must see so I think that brings me back to being a more complete human, as well.
Art does matter. Without it, we wouldn’t have too much meaning to life other than surviving. Art allows us to express emotions; to create something and bring pleasure other than having basic needs. If art, artists, and the artistic impulse were to suddenly vanish from planet earth life wouldn’t be what we know of it now. Life would be dull. I cannot imagine how else our emotions would be expressed. What one cannot say, you can create. Art influences all the colors we see in our clothes to our furniture to what we buy and enjoy. Art is important in the world that we know now.
I do agree with the past slogan of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). “A great nation deserves great art”. A nation that is able to allow free-thinking and a cooperative state would allow all types of art because one is able to express themselves however they want. A nation that suppresses its people would suppress what types of expression is given, meaning that they wouldn’t have “great art”. Great art should display the history of their lives from pain to love to failure to success. A nation that doesn’t show these emotions and lessons would not make a great nation.
This semester, I’ve experienced many types of arts and what it means in more depth. I have had to really muster some of my own creativity towards topics of art that were given and I got to see first-handed what I can do. I experienced what I am capable of creating. Art is important in my life and career. I feel that I am always thinking and having ideas at 100 miles per hour flowing in my brain. I need a way to express what I am thinking and I intend to do that through art. In my line of work, it is essential that I express my creativity, especially when I need to present my ideas. Ultimately, art is what will get me through how I want to live my life.
