I don't see how art helps the world - a question to artists

[Mada_]

I have grown up in a household with parents who are both fine artists. My early childhood was just drawing, I never could wrap my head around video games, nor did my parents buy me any, and I would always have access to notepads, pens and paints, so that was what I did.

As a result of this, I have always been a talented illustrator and painter. It comes very naturally to me, and I am able to fuse imagery. Yet this is not my bliss per se, but my talent for imagery extends to photography, film which I feel like I could explore as an outlet.

I was always intrigued by spirituality and personal development from the age of 15, when I joined a small sangha, I was also passionate about philosophy which I valued over art due to language's ability to vividly portray, to convey a clear message and not a metaphoric one. Starting to watch actualized.org conveyed that to me, I love this no-bullshit approach to conveying a message. But on the other hand, I love nature so much, I deeply value simple observation; on account of this and my artistic strength I am now seriously considering becoming a nature photographer. 

 

I think that telling the world explicitly how they could change their life is more effective than showing them metaphorically. How do you think art services the world?

[Knock]

Sometimes telling someone how they should change their life doesn't work. But show them the beautiful things in life, tell them a good story, and they become inspired. Some people appreciate art and beauty more than words. 

Some questions to ponder:

Is martial arts an art? Could sports be an art? How about writing beautiful code? Baking a cake? Writing perfect emails? Lifting weights? Does the medium for art matter, or is it the beauty behind its creation?

Is it possible to enter flow stats without art? 

What would the world look like without art or beauty? Does art make the world a better place? 

[Mada_]

@Knock Good points friend, thankyou for this. 

Inspiration is an important point which I am overlooking. Nature is my biggest inspiration in life, so I could share this with people. 

[Gili Trawangan]

Art can help you transcend the ego and all concepts better than language-based teachings. When a powerful work of art hits you, there is a shift in consciousness.

[rNOW]

Check out the guy called 'Banksy' and his works, in case you don't know. 

[Mada_]

@Gili Trawangan I can relate to the point of art helping to transcend the ego. When listening to some really beautiful jazz this morning I felt my ego took a backseat. Can you perhaps provide an example of a work of art that has had such an effect on yourself?

@rNOW I am familiar with Banksy's work; this is a good point, Banksy's art presents a clear and powerful message aimed to service the world.

 

Thankyou for your replies <3

[Gili Trawangan]

12 minutes ago, Mada_ said:

@Gili Trawangan I can relate to the point of art helping to transcend the ego. When listening to some really beautiful jazz this morning I felt my ego took a backseat. Can you perhaps provide an example of a work of art that has had such an effect on yourself?

@rNOW I am familiar with Banksy's work; this is a good point, Banksy's art presents a clear and powerful message aimed to service the world.

 

Thankyou for your replies <3

@Mada_ The last example I remember was watching the movie Interstellar. I had an utterly profound transcendence experience, beyond words. There's no way I can communicate it properly.

This is just the last one I remember, it happens a lot with music too. Also with great literature.

[Pacific Sage]

I'm no artist but do follow a lot of art. Movies, songs and other form of art has an emotional effect on human beings and helps polarize (if intended) in the direction of the story and hence learning important life lessons even in terms of emotions.

Here is a popular one intended for illustration - 

 

 

There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, "Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!"

The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.

"Don't cry 'wolf', shepherd boy," said the villagers, "when there's no wolf!" They went grumbling back down the hill.

Later, the boy sang out again, "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!" To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away.

When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, "Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'wolf' when there is NO wolf!"

But the boy just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more.

Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, "Wolf! Wolf!"

But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn't come.

At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn't returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping.

"There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, "Wolf!" Why didn't you come?"

An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village.

"We'll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning," he said, putting his arm around the youth, "Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"

 

[IChoseTheRedPill]

You state upfront "I don't see how art helps the world" yet I'm sure You're influencing others with Your photography... Two of my heroes of photography were Ansel Adams and Peter Turner... As a nature photographer I'm sure you're familiar with Adams... Both were great but Adams was all nature and more the exposure while Turner really taught/inspired me to think abstractly... To push things in the darkroom... Yes, I'm that old...

As far as what art offers to the world, it's the beautiful things that others can't do but admire... I remember looking at an Escher image years ago when I was younger and thinking "What made him think of drawing that? That's cool!!!" I had several prints of his on my bedroom wall and every single one of my friends who saw them were taken by them... Hell, even my mom liked them... The same instinct that Escher had to hand draw those images is the same instinct that compelled our ancestors draw on a cave wall...  They weren't thinking about some archeologist discovering their work at some point in the future... Then again, maybe were they? Surely You've seen at least one movie that made You go "Hmmmm... Damn... There's something here to think about..." Without the arts, we be a dead inside, sterile culture... That's my two cents...

[Chakra Lion]

Going to your Original Question - I don't see how art helps the world

If you really break it down. Art is Expression. It could be of Imagination, Emotion, or Skill. But how one Creates the Expression is completely unique to that Artists Soul. Expression with the Body, Heart, Mind, and Spirit are all forms of Art. Truly understanding Art, you realize that every single breath is Art. It is all Expression of the current Perception that is being Experienced. Creating Beauty, Peace, and Life inside that Reality.  

Sometimes I Imagine Humans as the living Art inside of the Created Art, creating more Art. Look at your body and tell me that isnt Art.   

[Mindfang413]

Personally, i see art as a way of expressing ones self and ones emotions. Art can be a great way of expressing an emotion and also bonding with others who see the emotional significance of such an expression too. It can be a great way of releasing negative emotions in ones self. Also, arts just beautiful and its great to see things like art on walls, at least aesthetically lol

[exhale]

I think that "how does art benefit the world" can be looked at in two ways.  

First, what does the art literally provide to the world (inspiration, etc.).  

Second, improving the human condition by having an individual follow their passion (in this case--art), living and working in flow, expressing themselves, is a gift to the world in itself (this perspective is completely independent of the content of the actual creation).

[Florian]

I think real art is the expression of something you don't grasp consciously, so in that sense it could be beneficial to observe in a way dreams can be beneficial to observe.

[bejapuskas]

Sometimes if you tell someone directly, they're gonna freak out

[Surfingthewave]

@Mada_ Art is life. 

[LfcCharlie4]

Art quite literally is everything.

it isn’t just drawing a picture. 

Creation is an art and therefore everything in creation is a form of this art, from the bodybuilders to the best painters of all time, from those building billion dollar companies to those protesting global warming.

All of this is a form of art, therefore, creation is quite simply nothing other than art. 

Go into nature and see how nature takes care of everything it needs to in a perfectly flowing system, do you not see how this is art? 

You may then ask what about Earthquakes, volcanoes etc, naturally occurring ones are necessary for the overall system to thrive, so yes even these are forms of Art. 

Of course, relatively speaking, not all art is created equally, but even this forum, this message, these words are all forms of Art. 

Find your medium, and go enjoy it! 

[Angelite]

@Mada_ oh were similar. I prefer photography & film making over fine arts. I only appreciate arts that are very detailed & fine in it's making. 

[tsuki]

On 19.12.2019 at 2:24 AM, Mada_ said:

I think that telling the world explicitly how they could change their life is more effective than showing them metaphorically. How do you think art services the world?

Saying something directly has the drawback that the recipient has to be ready to hear it.
Otherwise, it will be rejected at best, and twisted and used to rationalize current behavior at worst.

Art that talks in metaphors has the capacity to lure the recipient in with its beauty, way before he is ready to hear its message.
We find art beautiful because it reflects parts of ourselves that we do not understand yet.
Seeing past appearances and trying to understand what is being said are the most basic lessons and they can take you very far.

Edited January 2, 2020 by tsuki

[Angelite]

It is relative. My views on art is simply one point of the spectrum. There are times when I take pleasure in ancient arts. It is meant to be pleasing. Nature is art. 

[Nicolas Puntigliano]

i dont see how cigareetes help the world but there's a whole industry dedicated to them.

Art can help you to escape, to represent something in an easy manner, to inspire yourself to do better, to understand about yourself and other people's perspectives, is one of the most pure communication tools we have availible right now.