Albert Einstein once said that “imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there will ever be to know and understand.”
Music, dance, theater, writing, designing (graphic, scenic, and costume), painting, and drawing all use the imagination. Without the arts, the world would be a boring place with no color or entertainment. But a lot of schools across the country are eliminating their art programs to save money, and some schools believe arts education isn’t important. I can’t stress enough the importance that the arts have on the world.
The arts can be therapeutic.
People use dancing, writing, making music, and drawing as a stress reliever. I know many people who draw or paint when under stress because it relaxes them. Artists use the arts as a form of escaping from the daily stressors of life. Furthermore, there are some people who use the arts to cope with traumatic experiences, heartbreak, or death of a loved one. And there are also individuals who use the relatable aspect of dance performances, theater production, or a painting as a coping mechanism.
Art helps individuals find their niche.
We all go through life searching for our place. Some people will drift toward athletics, and others towards the sciences. If we take away the arts, there will be people left out. I've heard from many people who write, dance, play music, act, or draw that the arts gave them a home, a place where they finally felt that they could fit in. The arts play a valuable role in self-identity and sense of belonging in many children and adults. Music, dance, designing, acting, and writing can shape an individual's entire well-being.
Arts can save people's lives.
Every so often we hear a story about how a criminal, gang member or a poverty-stricken individual overcame their circumstances by finding the arts. It helps steer them on the right path in life. It gives some individuals hope that their life can get better or hope for a better future.
The arts provide entertainment.
Many people find entertainment in books, movies, pictures, TV shows, or music. And that is one of the main purposes of the arts: to provide audience members with entertainment.