What do we think of when we think of art? Do we picture some hippie with bare feet and a paintbrush in his mouth? Is it this pretentious other-worldliness that only a few weirdos can truly understand? How do we know what sort of thing is art?
It's a trick question. Art is a multitude of things that we can't completely pin down. My interpretation of art is different than the person next to me's interpretation. However, it is broad and diverse, and regardless of how others view it, art is exceptional.
Art is not one word
Art isn't just the guy with a paintbrush and smock. Art isn't just art; it's a painter, a writer, a sculptor, a philosopher, a performer, a dancer, you name it. Saying that a writer isn't an artist is saying that writers don't have the ability to evoke everything that art stands for in their work. Saying that a dancer isn't a artist negates the purpose of dancing in the first place. If these are not artists, what are they?
Art is a feeling
Art is the feeling of arms wrapped around you and burying your face in someone's shoulder. Art is subtle, like wind or the cracks in the sidewalk. Art is carrying a heavy burden and having it lifted it away by the words of wisdom you desperately needed to hear. It isn't just a painting or a book or a performance because it is supposed to make us feel something. Otherwise, what's the point? The goal is to make us feel something, and to do that fully, art has to become that feeling itself.
Art is in between the lines
There are many forms of art that go beyond just visual art, but it also is found where we would least expect it. Think about philosophy. It seems ancient and dense, but between the lines of Plato's Republic, there's just as much art as there is in the Mona Lisa. Philosophers evaluate the world around them and study the meaning of life. Their opinions vary throughout history and even today, and like art, philosophy is subjective. Like art, we all see the meaning of life differently. Also, art is in speeches and protests. It is the same expression through a different medium: the voice. Though it isn't explicit, it's there.
Art heals
Think of a time where the weight on your shoulders became too much and you had to avoid crumbling. What did you do? Did you put your headphones in and listen to your favorite song? Did you pull out a book and lose yourself in a character different from yourself? When reality weighs heavily on us, it's a natural impulse to turn to some form of art. It's a method of escape, and through the method of escape, we can heal. Art allows us to be someone other than ourselves for once and become absolutely enthralled with another world. Sometimes escape is the best form of healing.
