“Art is boring to me.”

“I can’t stare at a painting for more than two minutes.”

“I just don’t get it.”

“Art is stupid.”

“Art is a waste of time.”

“My dog can do that.”

Art is not for everyone, but you kill your own creativity and understanding of art when you bash or neglect the artistry that already exists in the world around you. It disappoints me when people say horrible things about art, but fail to realize all the good it has done.

Put yourself in the shoes of the artist: you have been working on a project that is near and dear to your heart for a long time. You are finally finished and feel extremely proud of your long-awaited project. You put it on display for all the world to see and admire too. Then, the opposite happens. People look at it with no emotion, they pass by quickly or even neglect to look at it at all. All your hard work for nothing.

That is the impression we leave on artist when we don’t consider their art. Now, there will be art you don’t like. There will be art that doesn’t make sense to you personally. Art could be scary for you. There may be art that looks like something you “could do.” Let’s try and think a little more realistically.

Instead, think “I wonder how long this took.” Consider how much time and effort went into putting the work together. Examine the possibilities of what the artist was thinking when putting everything together. Realize, “I would have never done that.”

Being an artist means being brave. It means putting yourself out into society just to be judged and looked at differently. Everyone can look at something and find ways to “improve” it, but it takes a certain kind of individual to look at art, love it for how it is, and take something away that will change positively.

Art’s purpose is to feel something, evoke thought, and draw emotion. It is utilized as a conversation starter or a passion creator. Art helps battle depression, loneliness, and anger. It is crazy how much art helps people with mental problems too. There are thousands of studies that reflect the positive benefits of creating art.

GIVE ART A CHANCE.

Let art help you in ways that you never knew. Be more open minded to the possibilities of things that can make you a better person, even if it is not art at first.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash.