What Role Does Art Have In My Life?
My own personal experiences and research regarding what is considered "Art" in the first place.
I always felt enthralled towards music. Participating in Performing Arts felt as normal as breathing. I only thought of it as a hobby, or a pastime. Once I thought how much it really affected me, I was baffled. I was so passionate about it in my childhood years and nowadays, I never gave it another thought.
Art's role has been more than just a source of entertainment. It is part of who I am today.
In a quick overview, Art boosts my mood and is an outlet for me to express my thoughts and emotions.
A Passion for Music
Art improves our "quality of life", whether that means creating art, appreciating art, or analyzing art. We feel good doing it anyway.
For me, it was the art of music that greatly impacted my life.
Depending on the genre of music, Listening improved one's frame of mind. Some personal examples are listening to lo-fi songs while doing an assignment or Indie rock while cleaning my room. One enhanced my focus and the other cheered me up. Both improved my overall mood!
Additionally, I created and played music. Throughout middle school till the end of high school, I took Orchestra classes. I became passionate in learning and mastering my instrument, the *viola. I practiced and practiced classical songs until the strings imprinted my hands. I played pop songs for fun, as well as *transposed pieces of music so I could play them on my viola. According to an Article called Musical emotions, cognitive science, and art of music:
Music affects emotions directly, whereas visual arts mostly affect emotions indirectly, through conceptual understanding, which in turn evokes emotional responses. It is therefore hypothesized that visual art can attune its connoisseurs to emotions already existing in culture, whereas music can create new emotions, which is its unique property. (Leonid Perlovsky)
Fundamentally, the author states that music impacts an individual's emotion more deeply than visual arts does. In the sense that it brings out a new and/or intense feeling from the listeners. [1]
I did not like the sound of my voice, but I wanted to sing. To me, the viola sounded like a human voice. I wanted to keep strumming and plucking. I discovered music as something I can pour my heart into, express feelings which I could not have done on an Illustration, and relieve stress.
I don't play viola anymore, but I still have other instruments that give me those similar feelings.
*transposed: write or play (music) in a different key which makes it sounds higher or lower than the original.
*viola: A musical instrument shaped like a violin but somewhat larger, lower pitched, and “darker” in tone.
Who is Art For?
I believe Art is for people that want to express themselves, connect with other human beings, and just feel comforted through it.
Art isn't for everyone, it is an optional choice to indulge in.
There are numerous amounts of art museums today, each one sticks to a theme which the artist or groups of artists are proud to display. Some may hate a specific art theme, some will love it.
It may be argued that art is only for elites, but I disagree. It is primarily a perception that a piece of artwork could be "for the upper-classes". It can appeal to them, but it CANNOT BE ONLY for them to enjoy. [2]
Consider this!
What Role does art have in your life? How has art impacted your life?
Feel free to discuss in the comments down below!
Share your insights on what is considered "Art" as well!
Works Cited
[1]
Perlovsky, Leonid. “Musical Emotions, Cognitive Science, and Art of Music.” Physics of Life Reviews, vol. 7, no. 1, Elsevier B.V, 2010, pp. 49–54, doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2010.01.016.
[2]
Elizabeth DeMarrais & John Robb (2013) Art makes society: an introductory visual essay, World Art, 3:1, 3-22, DOI: 10.1080/21500894.2013.782334
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