Art gives meaning to our lives and helps us understand our world. It is an essential part of our culture because it allows us to have a deeper understanding of our emotions, increases our self-awareness and also allows us to be open to new ideas and experiences. Visual art can produce many of the same effects that music produces. General feelings of happiness and tranquility can be found and used through art therapy.
Many people use these benefits of art to calm distress and solve problems in their own lives, and it is suggested that part of this effect is due to participation in something tangible (Malchiodi, 201. Tangibility is something that is not often seen when it comes to mental problems). Most of our mental problems come from the chemicals that we have inside and that dictate our way of seeing situations and the reactions we have to them, and although it is possible to visualize how these chemicals work, you cannot shape your reactions and chemicals the way you can mold a block of clay or paint a canvas. Control is something that many people who struggle with internal battles, such as mental illness or grief, want to achieve, and art therapy and other physical-emotional therapies can help achieve a more tangible version of this. Art has the power to change the way we see the world, awakening us to new perspectives, ideas and values.
It can take us back in time to reflect on our past or push us further into our future. Art can raise awareness of social problems and foster a sense of acceptance that unites people regardless of their origin. Art is not only a form of expression, but also an invitation to solve problems and grow within ourselves and our communities. Whether creating it or experiencing it, art offers unique ways of understanding different points of view, while inspiring citizens to create significant social change.
Some people wonder if the arts are necessary or justified, most of the time when the subject has to do with funding art curricula. Painting, artistic photography, sculpture, literature (novels, poems, plays) and performing arts (concerts, operas, dance)).
