AES211 The Life of Art

The arts are not a way to make a living. 

They are a very human way of making life more bearable. 

Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow.

Sing in the shower, dance to the radio, tell stories…

Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem.

Do it as well as you possibly can, you will get an enormous reward.

You will have created something.

-Kurt Vonnegut-

When Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favor of the war effort, he simply replied, “Then what are we fighting for?”

There are many important things in life, and many ways of looking at the world. Through the lens of science, of philosophy, but one of the most crucial perspectives is through art. They are what gives this world a splash of color and flavor. Without them life would still go on, sure, but what would be the point anymore? Books, music, paintings, movies and all the other different art forms; these are humanity’s crowning achievement. For we create our own beauty and meaning… The pure expression of our very souls.

The arts are what makes life worth living. You’ve got food, you’ve got shelter, yeah. But the things that make you laugh, make you cry, make you connect, make you love… Are communicated through the arts. They aren’t extras.

-Barack Obama-