In the midst of the social distancing and quarantine mandates, people are left with so much time in their hands, not knowing what to do with it. When establishments were open, people can hang out with friends, shop, watch a play, etc. Now, people are left to deal with not having much stuff to do at home.
Fortunately, there’s Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, and other streaming sites. People have turned to movies, series, music. To simply put it, people have turned to art.
However, time and time again, artists are faced with discouraging words. There’s no money in art. Art is a useless career choice. You won’t get anywhere with art. One thing people should realize in this midst of this pandemic and quarantine is that artists are essential.
Art Keeps People Sane
Art has been known to benefits people’s well-being. It can improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. A study by Heather L. Stuckey, DEd and Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH on the American Journal of Public Health delved into the effects of music engagement, visual arts, and expressive writing. In the midst of a pandemic, art is exactly what everyone needs to cope with the uncertainties.
Music
Listening to music has soothing effects since it “calms neural activity in the brain.” Music, then, aids in the achievement of emotional balance. The stimulation of a person’s auditory functions also leads to better pain management.
Visual arts
When emotions are too difficult to put into words, people turn to visual arts. The visual arts is said to pave the way for the reconstruction of identity and self-expression. These feelings when making art stems from the freedom provided by art. Through art, people can explore different shapes, colors, elements, and depictions of their lives.
Poetry
Poetry is a tool used to fill the gaps that casual conversations cannot articulate. Spoken word poetry, for example, has opened doors for marginalized communities to speak up. A simple search on YouTube will automatically show you several poems about the LGBT community, Black Lives Matter, and Feminism. Poetry can relate huge ideas to far more familiar things. As a result, the information and its politics become more understandable to its audience.
Art Is Everywhere
It’s hard to imagine the world without art because as much as people don’t realize it, art is everywhere. Newspapers, magazines, and other print media have layout artists. Every website that you visit is curated by a dependable digital advertising company composed of graphic designers, web designers, and content creators. Billboards, posters, and commercials are produced by photographers and creative directors.
Therefore, art is essential because it has shaped the world today. It’s the very core of entertainment, business, and one’s surroundings. Without it, common everyday items may not be as interesting.
More importantly, art is how humans make sense of life—the good and the bad. This is why it is widely used for self-expression and knowing who they truly are. Because art is truly powerful, its effectiveness in raising awareness has become crucial to progressive movements. Hence, two quotes become relevant with regard to art: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” and “The aim of the poet is to inform or delight, or to combine together…both pleasure and applicability to life.”