Writing an inquiry proposal for UWRT was not an easy task.

Settling on one question

and deciding between handfuls of possibilities is frustrating. I began the research for a
couple questions, but the data I gathered wasnt enough to spend 10 weeks on,so on to
the next one. Eventually relaying back to my original mother of my art questions...Why
is art essential?
Sophie Clyburn
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1102
15 Feb 2016
An Art Inquiry
What led me to this question? Why did I chose it?
When you begin researching the web for a topic of your choice, it shouldn't be
easy to decide on a specific one At least for me anyways. Type in my first thought and
it leads me to plenty more questions and topics I could spend the rest of my life on.
Everything that has to do with art is interesting to me, but why? And why is it in every
aspect of human life? I am choosing to learn and educate myself on the reasons why
we as humans are so connected to art. Choosing this question will allow me to have a
better perspective on my field of study. Why is it essential to humans?
Brief history/context (audiences attitude-what they know and what they need to know)
We walk into any establishment and we should recognize that it was designed.
By a human, a creator, an artist. A person like you and I. Same as the ancient cave
paintings found in Lascaux, France dating back to the Paleolithic era. From this one
should notice that creativity has been alive for a long time. Our ancestors have been
using their imagination for practical and expressive purposes since the beginnings of
mankind. This is not something we invented as we evolved, it is something we have

engrained in ourselves. We all have the possibility to create and be an artist in one form
or another. Most of us will use creativity in our lifetimes as means of change,
improvement, or substitution.

What is the significance of your inquiry question?

The significance of my inquiry question is that it relates to all people, not just one
group or part of humanity. Art includes all and is the most flexible subject one can begin
to learn about. I think it is especially significant to remind adults about practicing
creativity because after elementary art classes and maybe one or two in
middle/highschool to fulfill requirements, its not a big requirement for other fields of
work. We realize that it is a part of life, but many people dont exercise their creativity
and like any muscle, without using it, you will lose the strength it used to give you.
Children use it with no problem and we as adults generally begin to lose it as the real
world of work demands productivity and efficiency. I want to remind others of my age
and above they should indulge in art or any type of creative process because of all the
benefits.
What did you know about your subject before you began? How did you learn it?
Before starting the proposal, I already had a foundation of information on art.
Ever since I remember, Ive been creating something. Whether a bracelet or drawing or
writing a poem, my hands have always helped me bring my imagination to life. I learned
about art through trial and error on my own, through countless art classes in primary
school, and now as I create a new portfolio and take art history survey classes. People
who dedicate their entire lives to art (artist as in career) never achieve full knowledge on
the subject because it is so vast. I hope

What evidence have you gathered to establish that it is researchable?

There is plenty of evidence to support my inquiry of art being essential. The fact,
as I discussed before, is that is has been around since forever and it is a prevailing
reason that we can learn about people and history through the remains of ancient art
today. This is not the first time this question has been asked, so there is many different
voices on the internet explaining why they think art has always been intertwined with
human life. It allows for personal expression, purpose, educating, and much more. I am
certain I will have an abundance of sources.
What related questions are occurring to you now that youve started?
After researching the question and writing this, I am back to the questions I had
originally that go with art and mental health. Why are artists known for being crazy
and/or manic depressive? So many great artists we still praise lived with depression and
some speculate that extreme emotions fueled the creative processes. I argue that it is
the only way to cope.