What is art?
by GRADO
1 Art is Energy
Creativity is an expression of one’s inner self.
And art is the manifestation of present actions, life purpose, and energy.
Art is energy in the act of creating an artistic outcome, and it is energy because it generates a reaction in an audience.
Artworks convey an artist’s state of mind to the viewer, they produce interactions, and they transmit energy
2 Art connects people
Art fosters connection — it’s a vehicle of connection between people. Our own artworks, and the artworks of others, produce a link between human minds.
It’s all connected. When you observe an artwork, there’s a deep connection between you, the artwork, and the artist. Art is a generator of change, encouraging human interactions and bringing together like-minded people with a common interest.
Art is experimentation. Art at any level of competency — whether it’s drawing, sculpting, or creating a song — is experimentation. Without experimentation, creativity cannot flow. When you experiment, you don’t yet know the outcome of what you’re creating. This means that every time you create, you’re taking a risk and following the path unknown. But this uncertainty should not be feared, for it’s impossible to create something worthwhile without taking risks.
Experimentation also takes you on a journey of exploration and connects you to your true self. When you introduce new activities into your life, you awaken your inner self. This helps you to better understand the real you and can lead to positive changes in your life.
4 Art helps you connect with yourself
Any artistic practice — whichever discipline you choose — is a way to connect to your inner self. When you create, you tend to be present, your mind relaxed. This enables you to engage in a creative form of meditation.
Routine artistic activities such as coloring in are excellent mindfulness practices as they require you to focus on the task at hand. The repetition and attention to detail require you to focus intently, producing a sense of calm and relaxation.
5 Art enhances spiritual practice
The art that you produce represents your ideas, worries, expectations, and creativity.
And the mindfulness that you experience during the creative process helps you feel more focused and balanced. Art makes you more focused and connected to your inner self, therefore helping to improve your spiritual practice.
6 Art is a life process
The life of an artist isn’t easy — it can be full of setbacks and disappointments, but you can also find success. In the end, the path of artistic creation is like the path of life.
Art practice helps you to understand life and to accept failure. It allows you to surrender to the fact that sometimes you’re not ready to produce the creations you’d like to. It forces you to accept things as they are.
Therefore, art is a process of perseverance, dedication, and discipline. Yes, talent is a good starting point, but nothing can be achieved without hard work and perseverance.
7 Art is within every human being
Everybody possesses artistic potential, but unfortunately, some people never get the opportunity to explore their creative side. But no matter your skill level, artistic creation lives inside us all. You just need the chance to explore.
8 Art opens other dimensions of human consciousnes
Today’s modern world sees us disconnected, distracted and detached from being present. Modern life is focused on consumption and attachment to material things, and this often drives us to disappointment and despair. But art practice can help us reconnect to our deeper selves and become more mindful.
It allows us to create, experiment, and explore new paths. Art practice is a gateway to our deeper consciousness.
9 Art pushes us out beyond the intellect
Art lets us explore unknown territories.
It enables us to question established rules and break them.
It allows us to take risks, go to new territories, and explore the unexpected.
10 Art is unity and harmony
The artistic path is targeted toward unity and harmony. And this is the same for any creative discipline you practice, whether it’s writing, painting, or film.
Beginnings are hard, things may not connect and come together as you’d like, but through experimentation and practice, you can make your creation work.
When all elements enhance each other, an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
