Running head: DO WE NEED ART IN OUR LIVES?

Do We Need Art in Our Lives?

Ahmad Alsultan
Woodbury University

DO WE NEED ART IN OUR LIVES?

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Abstract

Art is an important aspect of life that is often ignored by most people that claim that they do not
understand it. However, art plays a major role in our lives as it helps in the establishment of the
link between history and the present times. Art is used as a way of communication as well as in a
natural way of behavior. Art is a way of expressing ones emotions and developing selfawareness that results in greater development and the personal and professional level. The paper
presents arguments on why art is indispensable in our lives.

DO WE NEED ART IN OUR LIVES?

Do We Need Art in Our Lives?

Introduction
Evidently, art can be dated back to the history of man and continues to be an integral part
of our lives and is present in all cultures across the globe. Art is defined as To evoke in oneself a
feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then, by means of
movements, lines, colors, sounds, or forms expressed in words, so to transmit that feeling that
others may experience the same feeling--this is the activity of art. by Leo Tolstoy (Tolstoy,
1932). People felt the urge to create art from the beginning. However, it can be noted that the
actual purposes of art could not be understood. There are those that have identified the real
purposes behind art. There is a popular saying that reads that art is a reflection of life and appeals
to our minds and hearts. Art is necessity in our lives because it makes us complete humans, it is a
medium to express ideas and communicate, and it provides a release and a place for reflection to
engage our whole selves.
Practicing art can lead to a better visualization of the events that take place in our lives,
reshape, examine them and record them. This leaves a trace for other individuals to view them. It
is evident that art is made for diverse reasons such as to communicate concepts, get the attention
of the audience, entertain and organize visual and material experiences (Tolstoy, 1932). I will not
delve into the details of the reasons behind but rather, I have opted to look into the most
important function of art which is to facilitate the experiences that individuals go through.
Creating art is a prehistoric behavior as seen from the fact that all it is as important as laughter
and laughter. In simple terms, art is who we are and is a necessity when it comes to completing
oneself.

DO WE NEED ART IN OUR LIVES?

It is clear that art is not a luxury as thought by most people, it is a right. It is as imperative
as being able to make music or sing, dance, make a sculpture or a painting as it is to breathe and
live. To eat a meal without being aware of the aroma, texture, taste and drink is considered to be
missing out on the eating experience, a key component of a meal is the nutrition (Kisida, Greene,
& Bowen, 2013). This is the case for the events that take place in our lives, the so-called painful
or pleasurable moments. The most important gift in line is the probability of a conscious
experience.
Discussion
Art is argued to be an innate human behavior that is needed in our lives. In other words,
for human life to be complete, it must entail art. When one is young, they develop a sense of
creativity that is observed through scribbling and painting. Art is a drive that comes from within
that is influenced by the desire to attain balance (Dissanayake, 1988).The balance is attained
when on creates something (a sculpture, a song, a poem or a painting) that is exactly how they
would want it to be. Sometimes, there are types of communication that fail individuals to
actualize their actual feelings forcing them to turn into art as a way of expressing how they feel.
There are different events that have taken place over the years evoking varying emotions
in society. Art acts as a way of recording the emotions that have been experienced during the
events that have occurred over the years (Kisida, Greene, & Bowen, 2013). Art helps us
understand our history and how the major events that occurred in the past influenced the peoples
lives. It is through art that individuals learn about the despair, pain, suffering as well as the joy
that has been felt over the years (Dissanayake, 1988). When people learn about the history and
the emotions experienced from events in the past, they appreciate it an important factor that has
shaped the life that we have in the present times.

DO WE NEED ART IN OUR LIVES?

Art is considered to be healing as it helps healing, relax and sooth us or it may enliven
and stimulate us. It can be noted that individuals that face a high level of stress are advised to
take part in a given for of art such as painting or dancing in a move to do away with the stress.
Art stimulates individuals to think and develop their creative abilities and this means that the can
lead complete lives. Art plays an essential role in helping individuals attain self-awareness. The
world that we live in is hectic and people do not have them to recollect our thoughts and get in
touch with our feelings (Tolstoy, 1932). Getting a clear understanding of our emotions helps us
improve our self-awareness that can lead to success at the professional and personal levels.
Artists make works of art for instance paintings, films and songs that are centered on the
themes that revolve around these issues. Through art they can communicate their feelings and
thoughts. They do so to educate the members of the society about the issues that affect their lives
and how their contribution can lead to the effective management of these issues. In relation to
this point, it can be seen that art paves the way for critical thinking (Dissanayake, 1988).For
instance, when I look at a painting, I ask important questions about the message that it bears. It
means that there is more to art than the face value. Winner and Hetland, For students living in a
rapidly changing world, the arts teach vital modes of seeing, imagining, inventing, and thinking.
If our primary demand of students is that they recall established facts, the children we educate
today will find themselves ill-equipped to deal with problems like global warming, terrorism,
and pandemics. (p. 29). Art is seen as a way of facilitating communication between the artists
and their audience. When on is coming up with a piece of art, there is a message that they intend
to communicate to the audience either for entertainment purposes or as a way of encouraging
them to think critically.

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Conclusion

Based on the above discussion it is clear that art is a basic part of life that is seen in the
early years through painting and scribbling. Art is a natural way of life that is used by individuals
to express themselves. It is also used as a means of communication as well as a way of
enlivening and stimulating us. Based on these arguments, art is a basic part of life.

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References

Dissanayake, E. (1988). What is art for? Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Kisida, B., Greene, J. P., & Bowen, D. H. (2013, November 24). Art makes you smart. New York
Times, p. 12(L). Retrieved from Gale.
Tolstoy, L., Maude, A., & Rouben Mamoulian Collection (Library of Congress). (1932). What is
art?: And essays on art. London: Oxford University Press.
Winner, E., & Hetland, L. (2008). Art for our sake school arts classes matter more than ever-but
not for the reasons you think. Arts Education Policy Review, 109(5), 29-31. Retrieved
from ProQuest.