essay on life and art

Essay on Art

500 words essay on art.

Each morning we see the sunshine outside and relax while some draw it to feel relaxed. Thus, you see that art is everywhere and anywhere if we look closely. In other words, everything in life is artwork. The essay on art will help us go through the importance of art and its meaning for a better understanding.

What is Art?

For as long as humanity has existed, art has been part of our lives. For many years, people have been creating and enjoying art. It expresses emotions or expression of life. It is one such creation that enables interpretation of any kind.

It is a skill that applies to music, painting, poetry, dance and more. Moreover, nature is no less than art. For instance, if nature creates something unique, it is also art. Artists use their artwork for passing along their feelings.

Thus, art and artists bring value to society and have been doing so throughout history. Art gives us an innovative way to view the world or society around us. Most important thing is that it lets us interpret it on our own individual experiences and associations.

Art is similar to live which has many definitions and examples. What is constant is that art is not perfect or does not revolve around perfection. It is something that continues growing and developing to express emotions, thoughts and human capacities.

Importance of Art

Art comes in many different forms which include audios, visuals and more. Audios comprise songs, music, poems and more whereas visuals include painting, photography, movies and more.

You will notice that we consume a lot of audio art in the form of music, songs and more. It is because they help us to relax our mind. Moreover, it also has the ability to change our mood and brighten it up.

After that, it also motivates us and strengthens our emotions. Poetries are audio arts that help the author express their feelings in writings. We also have music that requires musical instruments to create a piece of art.

Other than that, visual arts help artists communicate with the viewer. It also allows the viewer to interpret the art in their own way. Thus, it invokes a variety of emotions among us. Thus, you see how essential art is for humankind.

Without art, the world would be a dull place. Take the recent pandemic, for example, it was not the sports or news which kept us entertained but the artists. Their work of arts in the form of shows, songs, music and more added meaning to our boring lives.

Therefore, art adds happiness and colours to our lives and save us from the boring monotony of daily life.

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Conclusion of the Essay on Art

All in all, art is universal and can be found everywhere. It is not only for people who exercise work art but for those who consume it. If there were no art, we wouldn’t have been able to see the beauty in things. In other words, art helps us feel relaxed and forget about our problems.

FAQ of Essay on Art

Question 1: How can art help us?

Answer 1: Art can help us in a lot of ways. It can stimulate the release of dopamine in your bodies. This will in turn lower the feelings of depression and increase the feeling of confidence. Moreover, it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Question 2: What is the importance of art?

Answer 2: Art is essential as it covers all the developmental domains in child development. Moreover, it helps in physical development and enhancing gross and motor skills. For example, playing with dough can fine-tune your muscle control in your fingers.

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How does art affect us?

It’s no secret that art can impact lots of people’s lives in very meaningful and deep ways. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” can attest to this much at the very least. Whether you think art is paint on a canvas or scenes from the nature that surrounds you, what we as a society deem art has an impact on us all.

Art is actually part of what historians deem necessary for a group of people to be considered a society! Art, along with writing, cities, government, religion, and social structure, is the very basis of life as we as humans have known it for millennia. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that art has both a mental and physical effect on the human being.

To begin, music can have a significant effect on concentration. A lot of research has gone into its ability to help people hone their concentration, and theories such as the Mozart effect suggest that this effect extends to even spatial awareness. Physically, dancing is something that most people universally feel compelled to do when hearing a catchy beat. However, there is a physical effect besides dancing that not everyone feels: goosebumps. Studies suggest that 50% of all people experience this phenomena (Salimpoor, Benovoy, Larcher, Dagher, Zatorre, 2011), and is a result of excitement from music. It was found that dopamine production was very high while participants were listening to music, and this could suggest why music has been such a large part of cultures across the ages.

Visual art can produce a lot of the same effects that music does. General feelings of happiness and calmness can be found and utilized via art therapy. Many people use these benefits of art to quell distress and solve problems in their own lives, and part of this effect is suggested to be caused by being involved in something tangible (Malchiodi, 2012). Tangibility is something that isn’t often seen when dealing with mental issues. Most all of our mental issues stem from the chemicals within us that dictate how we view situations and the reactions we have in regards to them, and while it may be possible to visualize how these chemicals work, you cannot mold your reactions and chemical outputs like you can mold a block of clay or paint a piece of canvas. Control is something that many who are struggling with internal battles such as mental illness or grief are desiring to achieve, and art therapy and other physical-emotional therapies can help achieve a more tangible version of this.

The picture I’ve included displays the ventral striatum, which has also been shown to be activated and produce dopamine when shown art via a study at Emory (Eastman, 2011). When shown a photograph versus an artistic rendition of the subject, participants were seen to have much more activity in the ventral striatum while looking at the art. This part of your brain is very close to the midbrain and plays a role in the decision making vs reward system. So, looking at art may actually be a reward from our brain’s point of view!

Overall, art is an essential part of the human experience. Even if it doesn’t play a big role in someone’s personal life, art shapes the world around us and almost everything we experience when we interact with others. Art impacts what’s on the T.V. when you turn it on, it impacts what you see in textbooks on ancient civilizations (be it cave paintings, classical works, or folk art), it impacts what comes on on your radio and what reaches the tops of the charts on your streaming services. Art impacts us all, whether it makes you sad, happy, or anywhere in between.

Eastman Q. 2011 Jan 6. Viewing Art Activates Brain’s Reward Circuits.

Malchiodi CA. 2012. Handbook of Art Therapy, Second Edition.

Salimpoor VN, Benovoy M, Larcher K, Dagher A, Zatorre RJ. 2011. Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. Nature Neuroscience 14:257–262.

3 Comments Add yours

I love the subject of you blog post! I find it fascinating that humain beings are related by art. You do not need to speak the same language as the artist to understand his work. However, it is very personal at the same time since everyone has their own interpretation of what they see. It is also true art can become very useful for our everyday life, with Art Therapy for example. We can see the emotional impact it can have on humain beings.

Katie, fascinating ideas! I totally agree with what you explained about how art has a significant impact on our lives even if many of us don’t think about it usually. Art, as a way of expression,. should be taken more seriously as it is inseparable from our daily life. We can see art almost everywhere around us and in almost everything we do. I liked how you introduce and literate the ideas on that. I am inspired in many ways!

I really like your post. The concept and definition of art is very broad and obscure, but it is also what makes it so interesting. Ranging from visual, to auditory, to a combo of both, or even though, art can mean a lot of things, yet they are hoping to communicate a message or feeling through the works. I think what is important, like what you mentioned in the end, is to realize the essential role of all forms of arts in our lives and appreciation the impacts they bring.

“Without Art Mankind Could Not Exist”: Leo Tolstoy’s Essay What is Art

In his essay “What is Art?” Leo Tolstoy, the author of War and Peace, defines art as a way to communicate emotion with the ultimate goal of uniting humanity.

How can we define art? What is authentic art and what is good art? Leo Tolstoy answered these questions in “What is Art?” (1897), his most comprehensive essay on the theory of art. Tolstoy’s theory has a lot of charming aspects. He believes that art is a means of communicating emotion, with the aim of promoting mutual understanding. By gaining awareness of each other’s feelings we can successfully practice empathy and ultimately unite to further mankind’s collective well-being.

Furthermore, Tolstoy firmly denies that pleasure is art’s sole purpose. Instead, he supports a moral-based art able to appeal to everyone and not just the privileged few. Although he takes a clear stance in favor of Christianity as a valid foundation for morality, his definition of religious perception is flexible. As a result, it is possible to easily replace it with all sorts of different ideological schemes.

Personally, I do not approach Tolstoy’s theory as a set of laws for understanding art. More than anything, “What is art?” is a piece of art itself. A work about the meaning of art and a fertile foundation on which truly beautiful ideas can flourish.

Most of the paintings used for this article were drawn by realist painter Ilya Repin. The Russian painter created a series of portraits of Tolstoy, which were exhibited together at the 2019 exhibition “Repin: The Myth of Tolstoy” at the State Museum L.N. Tolstoy. More information regarding the relationship between Tolstoy and Repin can be found in this article .

Who was Tolstoy?

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Leo Tolstoy ( Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy) was born in 1828 in his family estate of Yasnaya Polyana, some 200km from Moscow. His family belonged in the Russian aristocracy and thus Leo inherited the title of count. In 1851 he joined the tsarist army to pay off his accumulated debt but quickly regretted this decision. Eventually, he left the army right after the end of the Crimean War in 1856.

After traveling Europe and witnessing the suffering and cruelty of the world, Tolstoy was transformed. From a privileged aristocrat, he became a Christian anarchist arguing against the State and propagating non-violence. This was the doctrine that inspired Gandhi and was expressed as non-resistance to evil. This means that evil cannot be fought with evil means and one should neither accept nor resist it.

Tolstoy’s writing made him famous around the world and he is justly considered among the four giants of Russian Literature next to Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Turgenev. His most famous novels are War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877). However, he also wrote multiple philosophical and theological texts as well as theatrical plays and short stories. Upon completing his masterpiece Anna Karenina , Tolstoy fell into a state of insufferable existential despair.

Charmed by the faith of the common people, he turned to Christianity. Eventually, he dismissed the Russian Church and every other Church as corrupted and looked for his own answers. His theological explorations led to the formulation of his own version of Christianity, which deeply influenced his social vision. He died in 1910 at the age of 82 after suffering from pneumonia.

Art Based On Beauty And Taste

Tolstoy wrote “What is art?” in 1897. There, he laid down his opinions on several art-related issues. Throughout this essay , he remains confident that he is the first to provide an exact definition for art:

“…however strange it may seem to say so, in spite of the mountains of books written about art, no exact definition of art has been constructed. And the reason of this is that the conception of art has been based on the conception of beauty.”

So, what is art for Tolstoy? Before answering the question, the Russian novelist seeks a proper basis for his definition. Examining works of other philosophers and artists, he notices that they usually assume that beauty is art’s foundation. For them beauty is either that which provides a certain kind of pleasure or that which is perfect according to objective, universal laws.

Tolstoy thinks that both cases lead to subjective definitions of beauty and in turn to subjective definitions of art. Those who realize the impossibility of objectively defining beauty, turn to a study of taste asking why a thing pleases. Again, Tolstoy sees no point in this, as taste is also subjective. There is no way of explaining why one thing pleases someone but displeases someone else, he concludes.

Theories that Justify the Canon

Theories of art based on beauty or taste inescapably include only that type of art that appeals to certain people:

“First acknowledging a certain set of productions to be art (because they please us) and then framing such a theory of art that all those productions which please a certain circle of people should fit into it.”

These theories are made to justify the existing art canon which covers anything from Greek art to Shakespeare and Beethoven. In reality, the canon is nothing more than the artworks appreciated by the upper classes. To justify new productions that please the elites, new theories that expand and reaffirm the canon are constantly created:

“No matter what insanities appear in art, when once they find acceptance among the upper classes of our society, a theory is quickly invented to explain and sanction them; just as if there had never been periods in history when certain special circles of people recognized and approved false, deformed, and insensate art which subsequently left no trace and has been utterly forgotten.”

The true definition of art, according to Tolstoy, should be based on moral principles. Before anything, we need to question if a work of art is moral. If it is moral, then it is good art. If it is not moral, it is bad. This rationale leads Tolstoy to a very bizarre idea. At one point in his essay, he states that Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette, Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister, and his own War and Peace are immoral and therefore bad art. But what does Tolstoy exactly mean when he says that something is good or bad art? And what is the nature of the morality he uses for his artistic judgments?

What is Art?

Art is a means of communicating feelings the same way words transmit thoughts. In art, someone transmits a feeling and “infects” others with what he/she feels. Tolstoy encapsulates his definition of art in the following passages:

“To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then, by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds, or forms expressed in words, so to transmit that feeling that others may experience the same feeling – this is the activity of art. Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hand on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings and also experience them.”

In its essence, art is a means of union among men brought together by commonly experienced feelings. It facilitates access to the psychology of others fostering empathy and understanding by tearing down the walls of the Subject. This function of art is not only useful but also necessary for the progress and wellbeing of humanity.

The innumerable feelings experienced by humans both in past and present are available to us only through art. The loss of such a unique ability would be a catastrophe. “Men would be like beasts”, says Tolstoy, and even goes as far as to claim that without art, mankind could not exist. This is a bold declaration, which recalls the Nietzschean aphorism that human existence is justified only as an aesthetic phenomenon.

Art in the Extended and Limited Sense of the Word

Tolstoy’s definition expands to almost every aspect of human activity way beyond the fine arts. Even a boy telling the story of how he met a wolf can be art. That is, however, only if the boy succeeds in making the listeners feel the fear and anguish of the encounter. Works of art are everywhere, according to this view. Cradlesong, jest, mimicry, house ornamentation, dress and utensils, even triumphal processions are all works of art.

This is, in my view, the strongest point of Tolstoy’s theory. Namely, that it considers almost the totality of human activity as art. However, there is a distinction between this expanded art, and art in the limited sense of the word. The latter corresponds to the fine arts and is the area that Tolstoy investigates further in his essay. A weak point of the theory is that it never examines the act of creation and art that is not shared with others.

Real and Counterfeit Art

The distinction between real and counterfeit, good and bad art is Tolstoy’s contribution to the field of art criticism. Despite its many weaknesses, this system offers an interesting alternative to judging and appreciating art.

Tolstoy names real art (i.e. authentic, true to itself) the one resulting from an honest, internal need for expression. The product of this internal urge becomes a real work of art, if it successfully evokes feelings to other people. In this process, the receiver of the artistic impression becomes so united with the artist’s experience, that he/she feels like the artwork is his/her own. Therefore, real art removes the barrier between Subject and Object, and between receiver and sender of an artistic impression. In addition, it removes the barrier between the receivers who experience unity through a common feeling.

“In this freeing of our personality from its separation and isolation, in this uniting of it with others, lies the chief characteristic and the great attractive force of art.” Furthermore, a work that does not evoke feelings and spiritual union with others is counterfeit art. No matter how poetical, realistic, effectful, or interesting it is, it must meet these conditions to succeed. Otherwise it is just a counterfeit posing as real art.

Emotional Infectiousness

Emotional infectiousness is a necessary quality of a work of art. The degree of infectiousness is not always the same but varies according to three conditions:

The individuality of the feeling transmitted: the more specific to a person the feeling, the more successful the artwork.
The clearness of the feeling transmitted: the clearness of expression assists the transition of feelings and increases the pleasure derived from art.
The sincerity of the artist: the force with which the artist feels the emotion he/she transmits through his/her art.

Out of all three, sincerity is the most important. Without it, the other two conditions cannot exist. Worth noting is that Tolstoy finds sincerity almost always present in “peasant art” but almost always absent in “upper-class art”. If a work lacks even one of the three qualities, it is counterfeit art. In contrast, it is real if it possesses all three. In that case, it only remains to judge whether this real artwork is good or bad, more or less successful. The success of an artwork is based firstly on the degree of its infectiousness. The more infectious the artwork, the better.

The Religious Perception of Art

Tolstoy believes that art is a means of progress towards perfection. With time, art evolves rendering accessible the experience of humanity for humanity’s sake. This is a process of moral realization and results in society becoming kinder and more compassionate. A genuinely good artwork ought to make accessible these good feelings that move humanity closer to its moral completion. Within this framework, a good work of art must also be moral.

But how can we judge what feelings are morally good? Tolstoy’s answer lies in what he calls “the religious perception of the age”. This is defined as the understanding of the meaning of life as conceived by a group of people. This understanding is the moral compass of a society and always points towards certain values. For Tolstoy, the religious perception of his time is found in Christianity. As a result, all good art must carry the foundational message of this religion understood as brotherhood among all people. This union of man aiming at his collective well-being, argues Tolstoy, must be revered as the highest value of all.

Although it relates to religion, religious perception is not the same with religious cult. In fact, the definition of religious perception is so wide, that it describes ideology in general. To this interpretation leads Tolstoy’s view that, even if a society recognizes no religion, it always has a religious morality. This can be compared with the direction of a flowing river:

If the river flows at all, it must have a direction. If a society lives, there must be a religious perception indicating the direction in which, more or less consciously, all its members tend.

It is safe to say that more than a century after Tolstoy’s death, “What is Art?” retains its appeal. We should not easily dismiss the idea that (good) art communicates feelings and promotes unity through universal understanding. This is especially the case in our time where many question art’s importance and see it as a source of confusion and division.

Tolstoy, L.N. 1902. What is Art? In the Novels and Other Works of Lyof N. Tolstoy . translated by Aline Delano. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. pp. 328-527. Available at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43409
Jahn, G.R. 1975. ‘The Aesthetic Theory of Leo Tolstoy’s What Is Art?’. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism , Vol. 34, No. 1. pp. 59-65. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/428645
Morson, G.S. 2019. ‘Leo Tolstoy’. Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leo-Tolstoy

Theodor Adorno on the Essay: An Antidote to Modernity

By Antonis Chaliakopoulos MSc Museum Studies, BA History & Archaeology Antonis is an archaeologist with a passion for museums and heritage and a keen interest in aesthetics and the reception of classical art. He holds an MSc in Museum Studies from the University of Glasgow and a BA in History and Archaeology from the University of Athens (NKUA) where he is currently working on his PhD.

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Some philosophers, including the guest on this week's program, Lanier Anderson, his teacher Alexander Nehamas, and their hero Nietzsche, are of the opinion think that we should think of our lives as works of art. I think Ken is sympathetic to this idea, at least. I"m a bit skeptical, but ready to learn.

First off, it seems that lots of lives are literally works of art, or parts of works of art. Captain Ahab’s life is part of Melville’s novel, Moby Dick, for example. But my life isn’t a work of art in this sense, and I don't suppose anyone thinks I should regard myself as part of a novel written by someone else. The idea is rather that real lives, like yours and mine, can be, and maybe ought to be, regarded as works of art.

I'm afraid that if someone were to write a novel based on my life, it would be a comic novel about an absent-minded Philosophy professor. If it were artfully written, it might be a work of art, but that wouldn’t make me a work of art.

But my life, is shaped by my decisions, and so those decision would shape a novel or biography based on it. So I might try to live my life with the thought of making a pretend biography written about it a good read. Like a good novelist, I may make something beautiful, or intriguing, or suspenseful, or at any rate somewhat meaningful, out of my life. What these philosophers recommend is that I should purposely shape my life into something with coherence, beauty, meaning, style, and grace ---- that’s what it is to LIVE one's life as a work of art.

That may not be easy. If I’m writing a novel, I can make the hero anything I want to. Maybe a great quarterback who studies physics for fun and makes a lot of money in the stock market. But sadly, life is not like that. I can't just decide how my life is going to turn out. I am constrained by my physical and mental equipment, and many other things that are out of my control. Still, there is room left to make many important decisions about my life, so aesthetic/artistic values can at least guide those decisions.

But would that be a good idea? It seems the aesthetic decision may not be the wise decision; it may even be immoral. Suppose I’m at a bar and an obnoxious guy gives me a hard time, and finally hits me. The wise thing to do is to leave. One might imagine that given my considerable prowess as a fighter, the moral thing to do is leave without hurting another human being --- to turn the other cheek. But those decisions make for a boring life. You’d never get a good movie out of that sort of life. If my life is a work of art, don't I need to do something exciting, like busting a bottle of Bourbon over his head.

Maybe not. Great characters in real fiction aren't always violent thugs. Think Jane Eyre. Don’t I at least want to live my life so that it is aesthetically coherent? Don’t I want to live with a sense of style? Don’t I want certain themes to emerge?

Well, not really. I mean I suppose if I could just push a button that would give me a little more style. I would do so, but I wouldn't invest a lot of time searching for the button. The whole project sounds a bit self-absorbed or even narcissistic --- like Beau Brummel, or Oscar Wilde, or Johnny Depp. But maybe I am taking it all a bit too seriously.

Basically, it sounds like I should draft something that might be read at my funeral, and paints me as an interesting character, maybe flawed but virtuous, gruff but kind, inept but determined, and so on. Then I should try to live my life, so that in fact that would be an accurate eulogy.

Maybe I could do that without being especially narcissistic or self-absorbed? Could be. I’m still pretty skeptical of the whole idea.

Life as a Work of Art

Related shows, the demands of morality, faith, reason, and the art of living, finding meaning in a material world, ancient wisdom for modern times, blog archive, comments (5).

Thursday, August 15, 2013 -- 5:00 PM

Skeptical? Yes, so am I. Art is difficult to place---and the designation, artist, seems to depend upon being in the BEST place, at the right time. If this were not so, scribblers (such as Pablo Picasso), and psychedelicists (as in Salvador Dali) would have never been noticed, much less revered. So, I'll wait to see what others may say. Having said that much, I do not quite see life as a work of art...we are not all artists, or doctors, lawyers OR Indian chiefs. We have THE LIFE WE ARE GIVEN (Michael Murphy and George Leonard)---no more and potentially much less-if we do not play the hand well. Cordially, The Doctor.

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Wednesday, February 5, 2020 -- 3:38 AM

I completely agree with you, art is more an ability to convey your thoughts, and popularity is just luck. That is why now there are a lot of artists and works such as https://ahiar.com/meaning-of-life/ what deliver their ideas through rare tools and are unlikely to be popular.

Friday, August 16, 2013 -- 5:00 PM

ART Sometimes people can define art as a beautiful painting or a drawing hung on the wall of an art gallery. Dance and music are also great expressions of art. I envisioned art a few summer days back in everything that was everywhere. This essay is about what I saw, and how I got there on that very special day. I decided to go for a bike ride through the oldest, and in my opinion, the finest neighborhoods in the city, searching for the best flower garden. It was going to be a contest, and I was the judge. I do not spend my weekends gardening, nor have I ever judged a garden contest before. I also have never sauntered casually on my bicycle. Using it for exercise and mountainous speed ventures was the norm. It seemed a relaxing idea, so out the door I went. Early in my mission, I discovered a residential garden of such magnitude, that it set the bar or standard that all other gardens would be judged, The garden had everything beautiful. It had color, shade or shadow, design, and a place. It was clean, and well manicured. It had meandering walks, with areas for contemplation. I stopped for a while and saw the garden and its diverse vegetation, as a piece or pieces of art. The rest of the day became an art show. I saw artistic gardens and flowers everywhere. I began to smell the art, it became intoxicating. I started to see art in the design of homes, and how the gardens were meant to compliment each other. I saw it in entrance ways, stain glass windows, and staircases. There was art in the majestic tree lined streets. I made it downtown to the river, where everything drains, including meandering bicyclists. Someone had designed the most unbelievable fountain, with marble walkways and hanging baskets of flowers. I talked with a few bystanders in the art gallery I was traveling, and noticed they had art all over them. It was in their jewelry, hair style, clothes, and a smile that remains etched in my mind. I stopped in a café for some nourishment, and also to come down a little bit. Unbelievably, the food was artistic, made by artisans, in a dinning room that defined decor in a unusual way. When I came back outside, I looked up and saw cotton ball clouds on a turquoise canvas, oh please stop! I ended my trip, or art show, five hours later, buying the best garden in the city a first place award. I see art much more often today, and in many more places. Not like that special day, but much more than I had. Art is in everything, and is made by everyone. I would like to thank all the special artists who create art. Thanks. PS: Slowing down could be the key to seeing art. =

There was a place, called Huntington Heights---overlooking the Ohio River, and, of course, Huntington, West Virginia. My grandmother lived there, along with several of my uncles, who, as adults, had not found lives of their own. None of this seemed untoward or out of place to me---then...I was only 4 or 5 years old, and did not understand the realms of unemployment or unemployability. But, I recall, even today, the gas-fired space heaters which (that?) heated the rambling house on the hill. Uncle Bill died, young, of ulcerative colitis. Grandpa had already left for California (I met him, many years later, but after a short visit, still did not know exactly why he left his family. I imagine he saw the futility of conditions he could never hope to change.) There is some other dwelling there now...I have seen it from the Huntington waterfront. Probably owned by someone who has far more money than my grandmother's family ever had...just guessing, you see. Life is not a work of art. It is only where we are for awhile---to pass on genes. This is biology. If that is art, sobeit.

Saturday, August 17, 2013 -- 5:00 PM

?TO LIVE LIFE AS?? No one, and I mean statistically no one, ?looks at their life as a work of art? and makes any changes. Yes, some are proud of losing weight, exercising daily, quitting drinking, getting a degree, etc., but this has nothing to do with ?art.? Unless, the meaning of ?art,? like so many other philosophy words, has become so broadened as to have no meaning left whatsoever. Stick with the Greek philology and taxonomy and epistemology: like, say, ?beauty,? ?art? has two meanings: one which everyone (except nut-cases) knows is art, and a second which we can never really define, but which we reach into with dialogue. More interesting to me, philosophically, is what is it about something called ?art? that we (whatever or whoever ?we? is), want to have connected to what we make of ourselves? I think it is about trying to communicate with, or be a member of, some elite social group (for all the reasons Nietzsche goes into). It is the attraction of a social elite that makes ?us? use the word ?art? to connect to ?our? life. Hey, skip the ?art? part altogether: the attraction of the word is all empty self-satisfaction and is self-defined. If you want to improve yourself somehow, and you practice and exercise to do so, and you get results, that is ?success.? Congratulations! Attaching ?art? to it is foolish and egotistical. Art is something very different from all this. Only philosophers believe in (and talk about) a human ability to ?look at one?s life,? and to use reason to 1. see ways to change it, and 2. change it.

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What Does It Really Mean to Make Art?

When we set aside our romantic notions, we see that creativity is continuous, and fueled by life itself.

By Ligaya Mishan

SAY “THE ARTIST’S LIFE” and already we are in thrall to the old romantic myths: the garret in winter with wind lisping through the cracks, the dissolving nights at mirrored bars nursing absinthe, the empty pockets, the feral hair, the ever-looming madhouse. Or let us reach further back in time to a Taoist philosophical text circa the late fourth century B.C., which tells of a Chinese lord who summons artists for a commission. They compliantly line up before him with brushes and ink, ready to compete for the job — all but one, who trails in late, then goes back home, disrobes and sprawls on the floor before starting to paint. The lord approves: “This is a true artist!”

Implicit in the phrase “the artist’s life” is the idea that this is a life apart. We are not so quick to rhapsodize about the insurance agent’s life or the plumber’s. As the cultural critic Arne de Boever argues in “ Against Aesthetic Exceptionalism ” (2019), the reverential way we speak about art invests the artist with a sovereignty akin to that of a monarch or even a god, unbound by the laws that rein in the rest of us. And so the artist remains a collective fantasy, an imagined rebel on the fringes, heroically immune to propriety and the demands of capitalism, who rejects work in the conventional, soul-deadening sense, who needn’t produce according to a schedule or answer to a boss or please anyone but themselves. In this construction, art itself is not a steady practice but a matter of a moment’s revelation, created in a fever that comes out of nowhere (and that the artist may secretly fear will never come again).

24 Hours in the Creative Life

But who is funding all this? We want to think of art as something pure, beyond commerce, but the artist has to eat, which requires customers (turning art into a commodity and the artist into a kind of entrepreneur), benefactors, government grants or a trust fund — or else capitulating to the system and getting a plain old job (a “real” job, as the anxious parents say). Nevertheless, the romance persists, for while we grudgingly accept wage labor as the average person’s lot, we tend to believe that such toil entails a unique suffering for the artist (and a loss for the world) because it steals time from worthier pursuits. If anything, we are suspicious of the trust funders, those who have it too easy, who don’t suffer for their art. Instead, we reserve the greatest awe for artists who work as mortals do, who accept the drudgery of ordinary existence in order to make possible a second one: the artist’s life.

This labor becomes an origin story, testament to a superhuman ability to keep the mind keen and the soul intact after hours of dulling tasks. We thrill to contemporary tales of the German filmmaker Werner Herzog pulling night shifts welding steel, the American novelist Octavia Butler monitoring quality control at a potato chip factory or the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei cleaning houses. The American composer Philip Glass famously shocked the Australian-born art critic Robert Hughes in the 1970s by showing up to install his dishwasher — now here is the plumber’s life — and the American poet Wallace Stevens worked in insurance for nearly four decades, until his death in 1955, the same year he won the Pulitzer Prize. Sometimes, an artist astounds in two fields, like the Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison , who changed the course of American literature not only as a writer but as the first Black woman editor at Random House, where in the 1970s she published groundbreaking fiction by Gayl Jones and Toni Cade Bambara and the urgent writings of the activists Angela Davis and Huey P. Newton — and where she kept working for more than a decade after she’d gained renown as a novelist in her own right.

Even artists fortunate enough to be able to devote themselves wholly to their craft must draft budgets, marshal resources and sometimes manage teams to realize their visions (the administrator’s life!). As for the conception of artistic genius as a series of stray, unearned shocks of brilliance in lives otherwise given over to indolence and excess, what of the hours of training and repetition, of inhaling paint fumes, ripping out seams, running algorithms for a torqued facade, poring over books (perhaps to postpone the anguish of writing one) or plodding through scales at the piano? The epigram “If I don’t practice for one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the world knows it” has been attributed to musicians from the 20th-century American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong to the Polish pianist Ignace Jan Paderewski , born in 1860 — who, speaking of day jobs, was also Poland’s prime minister and signatory to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

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The Value of Art Why should we care about art?

One of the first questions raised when talking about art is simple—why should we care? Art in the contemporary era is easy to dismiss as a selfish pastime for people who have too much time on their hands. Creating art doesn't cure disease, build roads, or feed the poor. So to understand the value of art, let’s look at how art has been valued through history and consider how it is valuable today.

The value of creating

At its most basic level, the act of creating is rewarding in itself. Children draw for the joy of it before they can speak, and creating pictures, sculptures and writing is both a valuable means of communicating ideas and simply fun. Creating is instinctive in humans, for the pleasure of exercising creativity. While applied creativity is valueable in a work context, free-form creativity leads to new ideas.

Material value

Through the ages, art has often been created from valuable materials. Gold , ivory and gemstones adorn medieval crowns , and even the paints used by renaissance artists were made from rare materials like lapis lazuli , ground into pigment. These objects have creative value for their beauty and craftsmanship, but they are also intrinsically valuable because of the materials they contain.

Historical value

Artwork is a record of cultural history. Many ancient cultures are entirely lost to time except for the artworks they created, a legacy that helps us understand our human past. Even recent work can help us understand the lives and times of its creators, like the artwork of African-American artists during the Harlem Renaissance . Artwork is inextricably tied to the time and cultural context it was created in, a relationship called zeitgeist , making art a window into history.

Religious value

For religions around the world, artwork is often used to illustrate their beliefs. Depicting gods and goddesses, from Shiva to the Madonna , make the concepts of faith real to the faithful. Artwork has been believed to contain the spirits of gods or ancestors, or may be used to imbue architecture with an aura of awe and worship like the Badshahi Mosque .

Patriotic value

Art has long been a source of national pride, both as an example of the skill and dedication of a country’s artisans and as expressions of national accomplishments and history, like the Arc de Triomphe , a heroic monument honoring the soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars. The patriotic value of art slides into propaganda as well, used to sway the populace towards a political agenda.

Symbolic value

Art is uniquely suited to communicating ideas. Whether it’s writing or painting or sculpture, artwork can distill complex concepts into symbols that can be understood, even sometimes across language barriers and cultures. When art achieves symbolic value it can become a rallying point for a movement, like J. Howard Miller’s 1942 illustration of Rosie the Riveter, which has become an icon of feminism and women’s economic impact across the western world.

Societal value

And here’s where the rubber meets the road: when we look at our world today, we see a seemingly insurmountable wave of fear, bigotry, and hatred expressed by groups of people against anyone who is different from them. While issues of racial and gender bias, homophobia and religious intolerance run deep, and have many complex sources, much of the problem lies with a lack of empathy. When you look at another person and don't see them as human, that’s the beginning of fear, violence and war. Art is communication. And in the contemporary world, it’s often a deeply personal communication. When you create art, you share your worldview, your history, your culture and yourself with the world. Art is a window, however small, into the human struggles and stories of all people. So go see art, find art from other cultures, other religions, other orientations and perspectives. If we learn about each other, maybe we can finally see that we're all in this together. Art is a uniquely human expression of creativity. It helps us understand our past, people who are different from us, and ultimately, ourselves.

Reed Enger, "The Value of Art, Why should we care about art?," in Obelisk Art History , Published June 24, 2017; last modified November 08, 2022, http://www.arthistoryproject.com/essays/the-value-of-art/.

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Life is Art. Art is Life: Lessons for a Meaningful in Life from Art

This is my final blog post at Wellesley College ever. Instead of a traditional reflection post, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite paper submissions. I wrote this paper for my Philosophy Seminar on the Meaning of Life and thought it summed up what I learned at Wellesley quite well. I’m still in disbelief that it’s all over so soon, but I know the lessons I learned from Wellesley and the friends I made will stay with me forever. So, without further ado – the last post.

Greetings to President Johnson, Wellesley faculty, trustees, honorees, family, and friends.

And to all my bad-ass, inspiring siblings that make up the Wellesley graduating class of 2021: Congratulations!

Today, I wanted to speak about how art might aid in our quest for attaining a meaningful life post-graduation. You might ask, Shreya, why art? Well, one of my favorite classes in college was the history of modern art. It was certainly impactful and helped me see the world in a different way: Art is all around us. Art is life. Life is art. So, I ask, why not art?

Art is also an important part of the human experience…can you imagine life without it? It’s beautiful, complex, takes a while to understand – just like us. It’s also a meaningful metaphor as a way to make sense of the messiness and complexity of life.

While thinking about art, I’ve realized that I learned four important lessons from it that I want to share with you all today.

The first lesson is the importance of being present, which I know is easier said than done. One of the most peculiar assignments I had during college was to stare at an artwork for one full uninterrupted hour, before I was able to start writing my paper. I wasn’t allowed to pick up the phone, talk to a friend, or do anything else besides stare. Equipped with a piece of paper and a pen, I went to the Davis Museum, where I had to learn the importance of deceleration and immersive attention. For an outgoing, extroverted person like myself (who never stops talking), trust me when I say that it was challenging!

One hour doing absolutely nothing but gawking might sound crazy at first, but that’s similar to what portrait painter John Singleton Copley did! Due to the long distance between Boston and London, Copley experienced frequent and excessive delays receiving feedback for his paintings (Roberts). However, these delays were formative, leaving a large impact on him and the rest of his career (Roberts). In a time when we are inundated with information, and many around us are always in a fast-paced mindset, it’s valuable to pause and look harder and deeper.

In a chaotic and busy world, lingering can be impactful. New details arise and revelations can occur, which both take time to perceive (Roberts). It also involves immersing yourself in the present: looking at something does not necessarily mean that you’ve seen it for what it is (Roberts). Of course, there’s a fine line between reflection and overthinking. It’s also important to note that lingering isn’t for the past or for the future. It’s for the here and now, focusing on what’s in front of you and determining how you chose to react and respond to the world around you. It allows you to introspect and gain deeper knowledge which might not have been possible if you hadn’t taken more than five seconds to think about it. Processing and critical attention come from patience. I’d like to think the closest thing to pausing time and being fully present is lingering.

So, lesson one: take time to meaningfully and intentionally linger.

Lesson two: there are quite a few parallels between the art of painting and the art of living. Inspired by philosopher Pedro Tabensky, this worldview compares and contrasts the skilled artist and moral expert, in order for us to see that the two share a lot in common.

Remember those grand plans some of us had when we first came to Wellesley? I’m talking about those meticulously color-coded four-year plans on google sheets. You know the ones? Chronic over planners, brace yourselves for what’s to come.

According to Tabensky, a skilled painter doesn’t create magnificent works of art by following a set of rules, or a given manual (Tabensky, 59). Instead, they use their own unique manner of approaching the canvas (an acquired skill) to produce their works (Tabensky, 59). They don’t have a set plan that details every aspect of the successful artwork, but rather, the work of art is determined during the process of making (Tabensky, 59). Thus, a skilled artist has the ability to integrate new elements (conflicting or not) into the whole painting and adjust as they go along (Tabensky, 59). One mess up, accident, or splatter isn’t going to ruin anything: instead, it will be incorporated into the work.

For example, think of a watercolor painting: as soon as the brush filled with pigment touches the paper, the pigment takes on a life of its own – it’s unpredictable, affected by a multitude of factors such as the humidity, environment, wetness of the paper. For the artist to have control, they don’t need to micromanage the pigment/watercolor medium and make it what it is not naturally suited for – no, having control involves having the capacity to adapt to the unpredictable nature of the medium (Tabensky, 59).

The skilled artist is able to use indeterminacy to their advantage (Tabensky, 60). I think that phrase is worth repeating: use the indeterminacy to your advantage. Ease and confidence in the face of unpredictability is a secret superpower that I want you all to hone.

Like a skilled painter, a moral expert (which I hope will be all of you!) is a master in the art of living and has the ability to integrate new circumstances into their already existing life (Tabensky, 61). Like an artist develops the skill of good painting, they have developed the skill of good living.

Moral experts don’t view their lives in a completed form. Instead, moral experts give form to their lives by perfectly balancing and counterbalancing the new elements into their life with the general form of their life up to the present (Tabensky, 62). This skill requires the task of adapting to new, unpredictable, and disruptive circumstances: moral experts have a capacity to overcome and integrate conflict (Tabensky, 63). The moral expert has mastered the technique of good living, a skill learned through practice and experience (Tabensky, 63).

Thus, lives are not well lived by following a set manual, guide, or plan. We must use our skills to get us through the uncertainty that threatens to topple everything that we have achieved so far. An expert in the art of living will be equipped to deal with unforeseen circumstances into their overall composition of life, just like a skilled artist does with their painting.

If this past year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of resilience. Acquiring the skill of embracing the uncertainty that awaits you and all that is to come is an advantage. Your paint might splatter on your canvas and get on your clothes and make a mess but integrating that into the total work of art is a powerful next step. I encourage you, fellow graduates, to be like the moral experts and skilled artists and integrate that into your own futures!

Of course, you might not be so easily convinced: Art and living are two hugely different things. The stakes are higher with life compared to art: art is something that can be done over and over again, but you only live once! In response, I say, life and art may be two different things (Tabensky is not saying they’re synonymous) but lessons from one can be applied to the other. Even though we can’t redo our entire lives or start over like a canvas, we have the ability to, since every day could be considered a new start. Graduates, consider this your new start!

Lesson three: Critical thinking – easy in theory, hard in practice.

When an art historian approaches an artwork, they usually have a question in mind. Why did the artist make the decisions they did? How did they incorporate social commentary into their work? Where was it made? What inspired them to create the piece? By having a question to begin with, the process of understanding the artwork became easier. Questioning what seems obvious at first glance is a good way to springboard into thinking about it critically.

I am a cognitive science major. Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary study of the mind and its processes. It examines the nature, the tasks, and the functions of cognition. One thing cognitive science especially focuses on is decision making – and as humans, we make millions of decisions everyday: from inconsequential ones like what we wear in the morning to life-altering ones like which career path to pursue.

According to a prevalent theory of decision making, there are two systems of decision making: System 1 and System 2 (De Neys, 428). System 1 is your automatic, quick, unconscious way of thinking (De Neys, 428). Susceptible to biases, it’s your brain on autopilot. System 2 is your logical, rational, analytic way of thinking – and it takes more effort (De Neys, 428). A lot more effort.

We’re sometimes inherently lazy creatures – our default decision-making mode tends to be set to System 1. We get stuck in the mundane. In a way, during college, you’ve been practicing ways to overturn your System 1 thinking. You’ve been reflecting, questioning, musing. You’ve been taught to do so! In art history, when you linger, analyze, ponder, you’re working to overturn System 1. Critically thinking negates System 1. The challenge for you, now, graduates, is to continue doing that, out of the classroom. Not in theory, within the safe walls of college, but in practice, in the “real world.

Humans love routines. We tend to easily get stuck in cycles and the same mode of thinking. We have to make a conscious effort to train ourselves out of the default. Being curious helps. In the classroom, you’ve used your liberal arts skills to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge to go through the world not as a machine, but as someone who is constantly questioning, evaluating, and reevaluating. As a college student, you’ve put pressure on academic arguments and writings. Doing this in the real world is a lot harder and I implore you to continue to do so. When something seemingly straightforward is presented – take a moment to question it.

And lesson four, the final lesson: The numerous ways to make meaning are ultimately up to you.

One of my favorite 20 th century art history movements is conceptual art. A key part of conceptual art is that the idea behind the work of art is more important than the finished object itself (MoMA). In other words, the concept of the work takes precedence over traditional techniques, materials, and aesthetics.

Joseph Kosuth, a prominent conceptual artist, stated, “art is making meaning,” emphasizing ideas over the convention that art should reflect the artist’s skill or be pleasing or beautiful in some way (MoMA). Kosuth also was concerned that people accepted art as art because they were placed in museums, so he challenged the authority of art institutions to define objects as art (MoMA). One of his art projects involved three different representations of a chair: an actual chair, a photograph of the chair, and a dictionary definition of the word “chair” (MoMA).

Kosuth confronted the notion that art gets meaning from context, or by being placed in a white-walled museum. He questioned the nature of art, directing the viewer away from the form of art and what it should look like to the idea of art. Context and meaning shifted and suddenly existed in tandem with its audience. All at once, art’s meaning became up to you, the viewer, and not the context in which it was placed or how it looked.

Conceptual art tells us that meaning doesn’t come from being placed in a museum. Meaning is up to the viewer and their ideas and attitudes in response to the artwork. The white walls of the museums, the external validation: some could say those have been necessary for objective meaning. But just as conceptual art challenged the traditional view of art and placing them in museums for meaning, I urge you to challenge what you think should be your version of a meaningful life. Think outside the white cube or the traditional norm. Push aside all expectations or the status quo or objectivity. Just like there was no one way conceptual art should look like, there is no one way of what a meaningful life should be. Your attitude can and should determine what you decide to be meaningful in your life – nothing else. And although not everyone might agree on what that meaningfulness entails, if you’re being true to yourself, it ultimately doesn’t matter.

Well graduates, we’ve made it to the end of the four life lessons found in art. Congratulations on completing the last four years and beginning your wonderful journey that starts today. You’ve come so far already. On the path forward, remember to: linger a little while longer, embrace uncertainty, question the default, and make meaning from what matters to you. All of the lessons I shared with you today are skills that need to be acquired: strengthened with practice, important to always keep in mind as you go through trials and tribulations in life. And the lessons were hidden in the most beautiful, unassuming place of all: art. One last bit of advice: in life, not everything is going to turn out perfect, so cherish the moments that seem like they are. Oh, and visit more art museums. 🙂

Thank you Wellesley for all you have taught me these past four years. Onto the next adventure!

Bibliography

Roberts, Jennifer. “ The Power of Patience.” Harvard Magazine. 2013.

Tabensky, Pedro. “Parallels Between Living and Painting.” The Journal of Value Inquiry . 37: 59–68. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003.

De Neys, Wim. “Dual processing in reasoning: Two systems but one reasoner.” Psychological Science. 17: 428-433. 2006.

“One and Three Chairs”. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Learning. First published 2006.

Essay on Art Is Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Art Is Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Art Is Life

Art: a reflection of life.

Art is like a mirror that reflects life. It is a way for people to show their feelings and thoughts. Every piece of art tells a story about the artist’s life, their emotions, and their experiences. It is a way to communicate without using words.

The Beauty of Art

Art is also about beauty. It helps us see the world in a different way. Artists can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. They show us the beauty in things we might not notice. This makes life more interesting and enjoyable.

Art as a Form of Expression

Art is a form of expression. It lets us say things we might not be able to say out loud. When we create art, we can put our feelings and thoughts into it. This can help us understand ourselves better. It can also help others understand us.

The Importance of Art in Society

Art is important in society because it brings people together. It can make us think about important issues. It can also make us feel connected to each other. Art is a part of every culture and it helps us understand different ways of life.

Art and Personal Growth

250 words essay on art is life, what is art.

Art is a way of expressing feelings, thoughts, and ideas. It can be anything from painting and sculpture to music and dance. Art is not just about creating; it’s also about appreciating. When we look at a piece of art, we feel something. That feeling is a part of life.

Art and Life

Art is like life because it is full of emotions. Just like life, art can be happy, sad, exciting, or calm. When you make art, you put a piece of yourself into it. It shows who you are and what you feel. That’s why every piece of art is unique, just like every person is unique.

Art Teaches Us

Art teaches us about the world and about ourselves. It helps us to see things in a new way. For example, a painting of a sunset might make us appreciate the beauty of nature. A song about friendship might make us think about our friends and how much they mean to us. Art can make us feel more connected to the world around us.

Art is Everywhere

Art is not just in museums or galleries. It’s everywhere! From the design of your favorite book cover to the pattern on your clothes, art is all around us. Even the way you arrange your room can be a form of art.

In conclusion, art is a vital part of life. It allows us to express ourselves, to learn, and to connect with the world. So, let’s celebrate art, because art is life!

500 Words Essay on Art Is Life

Introduction, art in our everyday lives.

Art is not only in museums or galleries. It is in the clothes we wear, the houses we live in, and the books we read. When we cook a meal, arrange flowers, or decorate our rooms, we are creating art. Even the words we speak and write are a form of art. They can paint pictures in our minds or make us feel happy, sad, or inspired.

Art as a Way to Express Feelings

Art is a powerful way to express feelings. When words are not enough, we can use art to show our happiness, sadness, love, or anger. Through painting, music, dance, or theater, we can share our inner world with others. We can also use art to understand our feelings better and to find peace in difficult times.

Art as a Way to Understand the World

Art as a way to connect with others.

Art can bring people together. It can create a sense of community and belonging. When we create or enjoy art with others, we share a special bond. We can understand each other better and feel less alone. Art can also inspire us to make a difference in the world. It can motivate us to be kinder, braver, or more creative.

Art is not just about colors, shapes, or sounds. It is about life itself. It is about expressing and understanding, connecting and inspiring. Art is a way to celebrate the beauty of our world and the depth of our hearts. So, let’s embrace art in all its forms and colors. Let’s make art a part of our everyday lives. Because, truly, art is life.

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My Journey in The World of Art: Narrative

Categories: Personal Beliefs Personal Experience

About this sample

Words: 907 |

Published: Mar 18, 2021

Words: 907 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. Harper Perennial.
Dissanayake, E. (2007). Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why. University of Washington Press.
Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. Basic Books.
Guilford, J. P. (1950). Creativity. American Psychologist, 5(9), 444-454.
Howett, C., & Pegler, M. (2015). The Fundamentals of Creative Advertising. AVA Publishing.
Lindauer, M. S. (Ed.). (2007). Aesthetics and the Art of Musical Composition in the German Enlightenment: Selected Writings of Johann Georg Sulzer and Heinrich Christoph Koch. Cambridge University Press.
Richards, R. (2007). Everyday Creativity and New Views of Human Nature: Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Perspectives. American Psychological Association.
Sawyer, R. K. (2006). Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation. Oxford University Press.
Sternberg, R. J. (2003). Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized. Cambridge University Press.
Winner, E. (2000). The origins and ends of giftedness. American Psychologist, 55(1), 159-169.

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Why Everything in Life Is Art: Seeing the World Through an Artist’s Eyes

Art can take many forms and is an expression of creativity in its purest form. But have you ever considered that everything in life is a form of art?

From the way we dress , to the way we act, to even the ways in which we interact with others, art is all around us.

This article will discuss how everything in life reflects art and how it impacts us on an individual and social level.

Why Everything in Life is Art?

Everything in life is art because art is not confined to galleries or studios, but permeates every aspect of our existence. From the way we perceive the world, to the way we interact with others, to the choices we make, art is an inherent part of our human experience, reflecting our creativity, emotions, and individuality.

I Think Everything in Life is Art Quotes

“Everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home . Or even the way you write. It’s all art.” “Every gesture, every movement, every interaction is a brushstroke on the canvas of life.” “Art is the expression of our souls, woven into the fabric of our existence.” “From the simplest act to the grandest creation, everything we do is an opportunity to make life a masterpiece.” “In every moment, in every detail, we have the power to infuse beauty and meaning into the world around us.”

How Everything in Life is Art?

The idea that everything in life is art can be seen as a way of recognizing the creative potential and beauty in all aspects of life.

By viewing the world through this lens , we are encouraged to approach even the most mundane aspects of life with a sense of curiosity and wonder, and to find joy and meaning in the smallest details.

1. Art is fundamentally about self-expression and creativity.

Whether we’re talking about a painting, a song, or a simple conversation, all of these things involve the expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a creative way.

By recognizing this creative potential in all aspects of life, we are able to see the world in a more vibrant and meaningful way.

2. Art often involves a sense of connection and community.

Whether through a shared experience of a film or a concert or through the appreciation of a beautiful sunset or a well-cooked meal, art can bring people together and create shared moments of joy and connection.

By recognizing the artistry in all aspects of life, we can cultivate a sense of connection and community with others.

3. Celebrating the diversity and richness of human experience.

Whether we’re talking about the natural beauty of the world around us or the complex emotions and experiences that make us human, all of these things can be seen as expressions of art uniquely.

We can create a more inclusive and vibrant world by recognizing and celebrating this diversity.

What is Art?

Art is a form of creative expression that is used to convey ideas, emotions, or experiences. It can take many different forms, such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, literature, or theater.

Art is often used as a means of communication, whether it is to express the artist’s personal feelings and perspectives, or to convey a message to the audience.

Art can be both decorative and functional, and it has been an important part of human culture for thousands of years.

In essence, art is a way of bringing beauty, meaning, and inspiration into our lives.

Everything in Life Is Art

While some may see it as diminishing the importance of more traditional forms of artistic expression, it can also be seen as a powerful reminder of the beauty and potential for creativity that surrounds us every day.

Everything in life is art ! The art of life is about creativity , expression and imagination. It requires self- discipline to think critically in order for an artist’s work be appreciated.

When you think of art, what comes to mind? Paintings? Sculptures? maybe Music or Dance? All of those things are art, but art is so much more than that.

Art is anything that you create with passion. Cooking can be art. Gardening can be art. Even folding clothes can be art!

The important thing is to do it with love and care. So don’t ever think that your life is too ordinary to be an art form.

Every moment is a chance to express yourself creatively. Let your imagination run wild, and see where it takes you. I can’t wait to see what wonderful creations you come up with!

Life as Art: The Beauty of Creative Expression

Discover the beauty of creative expression , and how everything in life can be considered art. Learn how to appreciate and create your own works of art with this insightful guide!

Defining Art and Creativity:

Art and creativity are often associated with traditional forms like painting, sculpture, and music. However, art and creativity can manifest in many different ways.

Any activity that involves expressing oneself in a unique and original manner can be considered art.

From the way we dress to the way we speak, our lives are filled with opportunities to create and express ourselves in a creative way.

Creativity is the ability to imagine and generate new ideas, while art is the expression of those ideas through different mediums.

The Importance of Self-Expression:

Self-expression is a crucial aspect of our mental and emotional well-being.

The ability to express ourselves creatively allows us to communicate our thoughts, feelings, and experiences to the world.

Through self-expression , we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

In a society that often values conformity, self-expression allows us to break free from societal norms and expectations and express ourselves in a unique and meaningful way.

The Benefits of Embracing Life as Art:

Embracing life as art can have a profound impact on our lives. By viewing our lives as a canvas to create and express ourselves, we can find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.

Creative expression allows us to tap into our innermost thoughts and emotions and transform them into something tangible and beautiful.

Embracing creativity can also improve our mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

By engaging in creative activities , we can increase our self-esteem and confidence , develop new skills, and foster a sense of community and connection with others.

The Art of Dressing: Creating a Personal Style

Discover the art of dressing and create your own personal style! Learn why everything in life is an art form and how to express yourself through fashion.

Dressing for Self-Expression

Dressing is a form of self-expression that allows us to communicate our personality , mood, and values to the world.

The clothes we wear can reflect our individuality and help us to stand out from the crowd.

By dressing for self-expression, we can create a sense of identity and communicate our personal style to others.

The Importance of Fashion as Art

Fashion is often considered a form of art, with designers creating unique and innovative pieces that push the boundaries of style and creativity.

Fashion can be a means of self-expression and an opportunity to showcase creativity and originality.

Fashion designers are like artists, using fabrics, textures, and colors to create unique and visually stunning designs.

Finding Your Unique Style

Finding your unique style is a process that takes time and experimentation. It involves exploring different fashion styles, trying on different outfits , and experimenting with different colors and textures.

It’s important to remember that style is personal and subjective, and what works for one person may not work for another.

Finding your own personal style is about embracing what makes you unique and finding the confidence to express yourself through your clothing choices.

The Art of Conversation: Communicating with Intention

Discover the art of communication with intention. Learn how everything in life is an art – and why conversation is no exception.

The Power of Words

Words have the power to inspire, motivate, and connect us to one another. They can also hurt, divide, and alienate us.

The way we use words can have a significant impact on our relationships and our ability to connect with others.

By choosing our words carefully and using them with intention, we can create meaningful conversations that foster understanding and connection.

Listening as an Art Form

Listening is an often overlooked but crucial aspect of communication. It involves paying attention to what the other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and demonstrating empathy and understanding.

Listening allows us to connect with others on a deeper level , and it shows that we value and respect their thoughts and feelings.

By listening actively and attentively, we can create a safe and supportive space for meaningful conversation.

Creating Meaningful Connections through Conversation

Meaningful conversations allow us to connect with others on a deeper level, and they can help us to build relationships that are based on mutual understanding and respect.

By communicating with intention and listening actively, we can create conversations that are meaningful, engaging, and fulfilling.

Meaningful conversations require vulnerability and authenticity, and they can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery.

The Art of Cooking: Creating Culinary Masterpieces

Explore why cooking is an art form , from the creative process to the delicious results.

Discover the power of creating culinary masterpieces and how everything in life can be seen as art.

The Art of Flavor and Presentation

Cooking is not just about nourishing our bodies; it’s also about engaging our senses and creating culinary masterpieces that delight the palate and the eyes.

The art of flavor involves combining ingredients in creative and unique ways to create dishes that are not only delicious but also visually appealing.

The art of presentation involves arranging food in a way that is aesthetically pleasing, using colors, textures, and shapes to create an experience that is not just about taste, but also about sight and touch.

Cooking as a Creative Outlet

Cooking is a form of creative expression that allows us to experiment with different ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques.

It’s an opportunity to explore our creativity and push the boundaries of what is possible in the kitchen.

Cooking can be a meditative and relaxing activity, allowing us to focus on the present moment and create something beautiful and delicious.

The Joys of Sharing Food with Others

Cooking and sharing food with others is a universal human experience that has been a part of human culture for thousands of years.

Sharing food with others allows us to connect on a deeper level, to share our cultures, and to express our love and gratitude.

Cooking for others is a way to show hospitality, generosity, and care. Sharing food can bring people together and create a sense of community and belonging.

The Art of Movement: Dancing, Sports, and Fitness

Explore the beauty and power of movement in dance, sports and fitness! Learn why physical activity is an art form that can transform your life.

Movement as Self-Expression

Movement is a form of creative expression that allows us to communicate our emotions, thoughts, and experiences through our bodies.

Dancing, sports, and fitness all involve movement and can be used as a means of self-expression.

Movement can be a way to express ourselves in a non-verbal way, and it allows us to connect with our bodies and the world around us.

The Physical and Mental Benefits of Exercise

Exercise has been shown to have numerous physical and mental health benefits.

Regular exercise can improve cardiovascular health , increase strength and flexibility, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Exercise can also improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety, boosting mood, and improving cognitive function.

Movement can also be used as a form of therapy to help individuals cope with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

Finding Joy in Movement

Movement can bring joy and happiness into our lives. When we move, our bodies release endorphins, which are natural chemicals that promote feelings of happiness and well-being.

Movement can also be a form of play, allowing us to explore and experiment with different ways of moving our bodies.

By finding joy in movement , we can cultivate a sense of playfulness and curiosity that can add depth and richness to our lives.

The Art of Parenting: Nurturing Creativity in Children

Nurture your child’s creativity! Learn how parenting is an art form , and discover tips and tricks to help build a creative environment for your kids.

Encouraging Creative Play

Encouraging creative play is an essential aspect of nurturing creativity in children.

Creative play involves allowing children to explore their imaginations and express themselves in a playful and imaginative way.

By providing children with open-ended toys and materials, parents can foster creativity and imagination in their children.

Creating a Nurturing Environment for Children

Creating a nurturing environment for children is important for fostering creativity and self-expression.

A nurturing environment involves providing children with emotional support, positive reinforcement, and a safe and secure space to explore their interests and talents.

Parents can create a nurturing environment by showing an interest in their children’s hobbies and passions, providing opportunities for them to explore their interests, and offering support and encouragement.

Fostering a Love of Art and Self-Expression

Fostering a love of art and self-expression is important for nurturing creativity in children.

Parents can encourage their children to express themselves through art by providing them with art supplies and materials , taking them to art museums and galleries, and encouraging them to participate in art classes and workshops.

Parents can also foster a love of self-expression by encouraging their children to express their emotions and thoughts in a safe and supportive environment.

The Art of Learning: Embracing Curiosity and Exploration

“Dive into a world of exploration and curiosity – learn why everything in life is art. Embrace the power of learning and unlock your inner genius!

The Importance of Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning is an essential aspect of personal and professional growth.

It involves a commitment to ongoing education and personal development , and it can lead to new opportunities and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Lifelong learning allows us to expand our knowledge, skills, and perspectives, and it can lead to greater creativity, innovation, and problem-solving ability.

Finding Inspiration in the World Around Us

The world is a rich and varied source of inspiration for learning. From nature to art to technology, there are endless opportunities to explore and learn from the world around us.

By embracing curiosity and exploring our interests, we can find inspiration in unexpected places and discover new passions and pursuits.

The world is a classroom, and every experience offers an opportunity to learn and grow.

Learning as a Creative Endeavor

Learning is not just about acquiring knowledge; it’s also a creative endeavor. Learning involves imagination, exploration, and experimentation.

It’s about discovering new ideas and perspectives and integrating them into our own unique understanding of the world.

Learning can be a means of self-expression , allowing us to communicate our thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a creative and meaningful way.

The Art of Living: Finding Beauty in Everyday Moments

Discover the beauty in everyday moments! Learn how to find joy in the ordinary and how to make everything in life an art.

Cultivating Gratitude and Mindfulness

Cultivating gratitude and mindfulness is an essential aspect of finding beauty in everyday moments.

By practicing gratitude, we can develop a greater appreciation for the small and simple things in life, and we can cultivate a sense of contentment and joy.

Mindfulness involves being present and fully engaged in the moment, allowing us to experience the richness and beauty of everyday life.

Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

The ordinary moments of our lives are often filled with extraordinary beauty and meaning.

By cultivating a sense of awareness and appreciation, we can see the beauty in the mundane and find joy and meaning in everyday life.

The art of living involves recognizing the inherent beauty and value in everyday moments and finding inspiration and joy in the ordinary.

Living a Life of Creativity and Purpose

Living a life of creativity and purpose involves embracing our passions and talents and using them to make a positive impact on the world.

By living with intention and purpose, we can create a sense of meaning and fulfillment in our lives.

The art of living involves using our creativity and talents to create a life that is meaningful, fulfilling, and joyful.

What Are the Different Forms of Art?

Art comes in various forms including painting, sculpture, architecture, music, literature, dance, cinema, photography, and performance art. Additionally, modern and contemporary art have introduced forms like installation art, digital art, and conceptual art.

Different Forms of Art | Types of Art

The definition of the word “art” is diversified, covering many unique forms of creative expression of human imagination, skill, creativity, and application.

Many arts are expressed in visual form but can also be enjoyed through sensory touch or audibility.

Arts were traditionally appreciated for their beauty or emotional power but are now often used for social commentary, political or self expression.

Throughout human history , specific forms and mediums of artistic expression have changed.

But for the most part, there are mainly seven forms of art. Each of these 7 forms of art affects our feelings and emotions differently.

Architecture

Let’s explore its history, what each art form holds, and how it enriches human lives.

What is literature?

Literature refers to written works, such as novels, poetry, plays, and essays, that are considered to have artistic or intellectual value. Literature allows writers to express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a creative and often complex way, while also allowing readers to engage with and interpret these works in their own unique way.

What is painting?

Painting is a visual art form that involves applying paint, pigment, or other materials to a surface, such as canvas, paper, or wood. Painting allows artists to express themselves through color, composition, and form, creating images that can evoke emotions, tell stories, or capture a moment in time.

What is music?

Music is a form of artistic expression that involves sound and rhythm. It can be created using a variety of instruments and techniques, and can range from simple melodies to complex compositions.

Music can evoke emotions, create a sense of atmosphere, or tell a story.

What is sculpture?

Sculpture is a three-dimensional art form that involves shaping and manipulating materials such as stone, wood, metal, or clay. Sculptures can range from small, intricate pieces to large, public installations, and can convey a range of emotions and meanings.

What is theater?

Theater is a form of performance art that involves actors, a stage, and an audience. Theater can be used to tell stories, convey emotions, or explore complex themes and ideas.

It involves a range of elements, such as set design, costumes, lighting, and sound, and allows actors to embody and portray a range of characters and emotions.

What is architecture?

Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and other physical structures. It involves a range of elements, such as aesthetics, functionality, sustainability, and safety, and can range from small residential structures to large, complex commercial buildings.

What is cinema?

Cinema, also known as film, is a form of visual storytelling that involves the use of moving images and sound to create a narrative. Cinema can be used to explore a range of themes and ideas, and can evoke a wide range of emotions in the audience.

It involves a range of elements, such as cinematography, editing, sound design, and visual effects, and can be used to create a wide range of genres, from drama to action to comedy.

What is not Art?

Art is subjective and can be interpreted differently by different people, but generally, anything that is not created with the intention of expressing personal creativity, ideas, or emotions, or does not provoke thought or feeling in the viewer, may not be considered art. However, this definition can vary widely based on cultural, historical, and personal perspectives.

Here are some generally accepted criteria that can be used to determine whether something falls outside the realm of art:

1. Lack of creative intent

Art involves a deliberate effort to create something that has aesthetic or intellectual value. If something is not created with the intention of expressing a creative idea or emotion, it may not be considered art.

2. Lack of skill or technique

Art typically involves a certain level of technical skill or mastery. If something is created without attention to detail or lacks a basic understanding of technique, it may not be considered art.

3. Lack of originality or uniqueness

Art often involves a certain degree of originality or uniqueness. If something is a direct copy or imitation of something else without any attempt at originality, it may not be considered art.

4. Lack of cultural or historical significance

Art often reflects the cultural or historical context in which it was created. If something lacks any cultural or historical significance, it may not be considered art.

5. Lack of emotional or intellectual impact

Art is often created to evoke an emotional or intellectual response from the viewer. If something fails to connect with its audience or lacks any meaningful impact, it may not be considered art.

Everywhere I Look, All I See Is Art.

In summary, art is the expression of emotional power and aesthetic experience. Artists are people who are passionate about creating and exploring different forms of art , including acting, painting, music, cooking, and fashion design.

Everything in life can be considered art, from the way we look in the mirror to the technological advancements that surround us.

Science and religion can also be seen as reflections of art, with the natural world and the work of passionate individuals being considered as art in itself.

Overall, art is not limited to traditional forms of expression but can also be found in the details and passion behind tasks such as building masonry.

Why art is not everything?

While art is an important and meaningful part of life, it is not everything.

There are many other important aspects of life that are equally valuable, and reducing everything to art can be a limiting perspective. Instead, we should strive to find a balance between the aesthetic and the practical, between the emotional and the intellectual, in order to live a rich and fulfilling life.

Art is everything that induces emotions in humans

There are many different ways to define art , one way to view it is as anything that induces emotions in humans.

Whether it’s a positive or negative emotion, art has the power to connect with us on a deep level and provoke thought, introspection, and transformation.

Art relays an experience, observation, idea, etc

By definition, art is an expression of human creativity . Art needs observation as well as experience to inspire its expressions.

Because everything doesn’t come from any being, so everything is art. Often the things they do without real intent are a masterpiece of art.

Art Is My Life and My Life Is Art: The Answer to Artist Yoko Ono Crossword Clue

Fine Art Definition: Unlocking the Different Types of Fine Art

Why Art Is Important to Society? Find Out if Art Important!

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Everything in Life Is Art! Look here for answers to your burning questions about the relationship between art and life.

Get answers today!

Who said I think everything in life is art?

The artist Paul Cezanne is often credited with saying “I want to make of impressionism something solid and lasting like the art in the museums,” and “I think that everything in nature is sculpture.”

However, the exact phrase “I think everything in life is art” is attributed to the artist and designer Ray Bradbury.

Did Helena Bonham Carter say I think everything in life is art?

There is no record of Helena Bonham Carter having said this quote.

What is a good quote about art?

“Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.” – Pablo Picasso

What is the meaning of art is life?

The phrase “art is life” suggests that art is an essential part of life and can be seen as a reflection of it. It implies that art can give meaning and purpose to life.

What did Albert Einstein say about art?

Albert Einstein once said, “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.”

What is Einstein’s most famous quote?

Einstein’s most famous quote is “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

What is art according to Aristotle?

According to Aristotle, art is the ability to create something according to rules or a plan, which aims at achieving a specific goal or purpose.

What did Einstein say about creativity?

Einstein once said, “Creativity is contagious, pass it on.” He also said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

Describe a universe where art doesn’t exist?

In a universe where art doesn’t exist, creativity and self-expression would be greatly limited. Art allows us to communicate ideas, emotions, and experiences in unique and meaningful ways.

It enriches our lives and provides a way to explore the world around us.

What is the meaning of art?

It can be seen as a form of communication, a means of expression, a way to challenge societal norms, or a source of beauty and inspiration.

Is everything around us an art?

Everything around us can be considered art, depending on how we perceive it. Art can take many forms, from traditional paintings and sculptures to everyday objects and experiences.

Can anything be considered art?

Some people argue that anything can be considered art if it is created with the intention of being considered as such. However, there is ongoing debate and controversy over what constitutes as art.

Why art is for all?

Art is for all because it is a universal language that can be enjoyed and appreciated by people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. It can be used to express emotions, convey ideas, and evoke a variety of responses from viewers.

Why does art exist everywhere?

Art exists everywhere because it is a fundamental part of human expression and creativity. People have been creating art for thousands of years, and it continues to be an integral part of cultures and societies around the world.

Who said that art is everywhere?

The phrase “art is everywhere” has been attributed to a number of different people, including Marcel Duchamp and Bob and Roberta Smith. It reflects the idea that art can be found in everyday objects and experiences.

Can any object be art?

Some people believe that any object can be considered art if it is presented in a certain way or context. Others argue that there are certain qualities or characteristics that an object must possess in order to be considered art.

What makes something art?

This is a complex and ongoing debate in the art world.

Generally, art is created with the intention of being considered as such and often involves elements such as skill, creativity, and expression.

What do philosophers say about art?

Philosophers have long debated the nature and meaning of art, with some arguing that it is a form of representation or imitation, while others see it as a means of expressing emotion or conveying ideas.

How does philosophy define art?

Philosophy defines art as a form of human expression that is intended to stimulate the senses and provoke thought or emotion in the viewer.

What is Aristotle’s theory of art?

Aristotle believed that art is a form of imitation that allows people to learn and understand the world around them. He also believed that the purpose of art is to evoke emotion and create catharsis in the viewer.

What did Nietzsche say about art?

Nietzsche believed that art is a form of self-expression that allows people to transcend their everyday existence and connect with something greater. He saw art as a means of creating meaning in a chaotic and uncertain world.

Why is life an art?

Some people see life as an art form because it involves creativity, expression, and the constant pursuit of meaning and purpose.

Can everything be considered art?

While some argue that everything can be considered art, others believe that there are certain criteria that an object or experience must meet in order to be considered as such.

What is the saying about art and life?

The saying “art imitates life” reflects the idea that art is a reflection of the world around us, while “life imitates art” suggests that people often emulate or imitate what they see in art.

Why is art important in our life?

Art is important in our life because it provides a means of self-expression, can be used to convey important messages and ideas, and can enhance our understanding and appreciation of the world around us.

Can we consider art everywhere?

Yes, art can be found everywhere, from the natural beauty of the world around us to the man-made creations of people. Art is a fundamental part of human expression and creativity that can be found in every aspect of our lives.

Why art is important to society?

Art is important to society because it allows us to express ourselves and communicate our ideas, beliefs, and emotions. It can be used as a form of self-expression, allowing people to explore their creativity and find new ways to express themselves.

Art also serves as a way for people to connect with one another. Through art, we can share stories, experiences, and perspectives that may otherwise remain unheard or unseen.

Art gives us a platform to voice our opinions and values in an accessible way.

How do you define fine art?

Fine art is a broad term that can be used to describe many different types of visual artwork. Generally, fine art refers to artwork that has been created with the intention of expressing emotion or conveying an idea.

This type of artwork may include paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, prints, and mixed media pieces.

Why we love arts and crafts?

Why we love arts and crafts? We love arts and crafts because they are enjoyed by people of all ages . For kids, crafts can be a fun and creative way to spend an afternoon.

For adults crafting can be a relaxing hobby or a chance to express their creativity . Arts and crafts can also be used to DIY projects around the house or to create decor for your home.

Arts can be as simple as painting a picture or as complicated as building a piece of furniture. No matter what your skill level, there is an arts and craft project that is perfect for you.

So why not try your hand at arts and crafts today? You might just find that you have a hidden talent for artful creation!

Wrapping Up Everything in Life Is Art

The idea that everything in life is art can be a powerful way to see the world. We all use art in some way or another, whether it be for personal enjoyment or to make our lives more interesting.

At its core, art is an expression of creativity and emotion that can inspire us on a daily basis.

Although the idea may seem simple at first glance, there are many layers to this concept which we’ve covered here today.

If you like this article about Everything in Life Is Art and would like to know more, please comment below.

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My Belief: Essays on Life and Art Hardcover – January 1, 1974

Print length 393 pages
Language English
Publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date January 1, 1974
ISBN-10 0374216665
ISBN-13 978-0374216665
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition (January 1, 1974)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 393 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374216665
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374216665
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.4 ounces
Best Sellers Rank: #1,230,373 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

About the author

Hermann hesse.

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was born in Germany and later became a citizen of Switzerland. As a Western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, he wrote many novels, stories, and essays that bear a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Glass Bead Game.

Photo by unknown [Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989 / Public Domain] [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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The Sporting Life: It’s time for India to do better, says Rudraneil Sengupta

Why are other countries racing ahead of us, even in arenas where we excel why is cricket, still, so many leagues ahead.

What makes a country dominate a sport?

Wrestler Kaori Icho of Japan, who holds the world record for most Olympic golds in her sport (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016). (Getty Images)

Such a brief question, but the answer is complex enough to fill a tome.

The good news is, we have the answers. They have been clearly visible for decades. We have watched, haven’t we, as countries vastly differing in size, population, economy and culture learnt from each other and found success in sports in which they were not historically strong? We’ve seen how they did it.

Broadly, there are four key drivers. One is cultural significance: think of cricket in India; football in most of Latin America, Europe and Africa; distance running in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda; judo in Japan; table tennis in China, and so on.

The second is a business ecosystem. Is the sport commercially viable, such that a large number of people in a given country could reasonably turn to it as a career? Alternatively, is there enough state funding at all levels of competition?

Third: Is there a pyramidal system that allows for development of the sport, the base of that pyramid being the availability of playing and coaching facilities for lots and lots of children? Is there a scouting system that identifies talent at the school and college levels (the middle of the pyramid)? And is there a peak of elite professionalism to aim for?

The fourth requirement is coaching. Does the country have access to world-class expertise, in the form of a team of people constantly pushing the line of peak performance through mentorship, innovation and technology?

It’s simple enough to recognise that, in India, we have all of these things in abundance for cricket, and almost none of these things available at scale for any other sport.

The question that plagues me is, why? These are all things that are easy to put in place. We saw Japan do it with women’s wrestling.

Perhaps you read about Yui Susaki, the four-time world champion and Tokyo Olympics champion who had been unbeaten in over a decade (in 82 matches, to be precise) and was defeated by Vinesh Phogat in their first-round encounter at the Paris Olympics.

Susaki finally ended with bronze after that terrible saga that saw Phogat disqualified for being 100 gm overweight. But Japanese women wrestlers also won four of the six gold medals on offer at the Paris Games, and this is not even an extraordinary feat for them.

Japan has swept up medals at every Olympics since women’s wrestling made its debut in 2004. Kaori Icho is the only woman wrestler in the world to win four Olympic golds (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016; she is also a 10-time world champion); Saori Yoshida has three Olympic golds and 13 world championship titles.

Though this kind of wild dominance cannot entirely be explained, Japan did everything right from the moment it was announced in 1998 that women’s wrestling would be part of the Olympic programme in 2004.

The country already had a strong culture of martial sports, from judo to sumo wrestling and karate. Its male wrestlers had dominated, alongside the then USSR, in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Japan had great coaching systems and facilities in place, as a result.

The government then committed to spending what was necessary to extend facilities and access to women; so did some of the country’s biggest companies and universities.

What unfolded was what we tend to call a “miracle”. In just one example, a former world championship medallist named Kazuhito Sakae was appointed head coach of a women’s programme at Shigakkan University that produced both Icho and Yoshida.

In India, wrestling once enjoyed great cultural significance. This was admittedly a long time ago. Today, the sport is celebrated in just a few pockets, mainly in Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra. The latter two states practise the traditional style of wrestling in earthen pits, which does not translate well to the Olympic mat. So India’s talent pool for Olympic wrestling is essentially the tiny state of Haryana.

Here, as in so many sports across so much of the country, government support is blighted by corruption, mismanagement, political tussles and apathy. Despite this, the women wrestlers of Haryana have managed to burst their way through to the world stage.

Somehow — and this is the real miracle — the state has turned out women of the likes of Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat.

Imagine what it could do if its women were given the kind of support that the average teenage wrestler gets in Japan?

(To reach Rudraneil Sengupta with feedback, email [email protected])

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