“Everyone wants a Picasso painting in their home, but no one wants one in their family.” This saying was taken from Bill Ivey’s book, Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights. This quote shows society’s love for the arts, but disdain for the pursuit of it. The arts and humanities are topics within the world that has often been downplayed in terms of its importance (outside of academia), but in actuality has played quite a significant role in every person’s life. The humanities are essentially the study of what makes humans, human and how humans can have empathy towards one another’s experiences. The arts have been an expression of this very idea. An understanding of the arts and humanities shows how these two ideals can benefit everyone in great and impactful ways.
As a visual artist, the arts are very personal to me. Art has always been a place of growth and food for my soul. It caused me to reflect on life, on myself, and my surroundings in a deeper way. It became a place of understanding and highlighting the simple pleasures in life, but also calling attention to deeper issues that kill our society. Art is a language and, in many ways, it can go beyond what words can express, and because of this, it has brought much healing for me and many people around the world.
In the same vein, the areas of study within the humanities have contributed to these same ideals. Furthermore, these fields help deconstruct and understand life, spirit, and humanity in its purest form. From philosophy to sociology to history to anthropology these fields take different angles in articulating our connection to one another and to ourselves; growing in empathy as we evolve as people.
The arts and humanities are beneficial for everyone to indulge in because of the things we can learn from them. The beauty of these topics is that engagement can be simple, easy, fun and a part of everyday life, such as listening to music or a Ted talk, dancing in your room or watching a performance. Whether we are creating or consuming, the arts and humanities can have a profound impact on our daily lives.
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