Speaking of the arts… A new year….a new perspective

A blog by Ann Genson

Happy New Year!

I’d like to be able to say that I have been on sabbatical for 8 months, but that would be a lie. It would sound impressive, though, wouldn’t it?

The Arts. What does that mean to you? When most people think of the arts, they think of works like the Mona Lisa, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, or Shakespeare’s Hamlet. They think of places like New York, London, Venice, and Paris. They think of mediums like oil paintings, sculptures, violins and opera.

Why not expand the boundaries of those thoughts? Why not think of a sunrise, a sunset, a winter landscape, a starry night, a face? Works you see almost every day. Why not think of your community, your neighborhood, your backyard, your kitchen? Places you go almost every day. Why not think of a hug, a smile, a handshake, an act of kindness? Mediums you experience almost every day.

Art is defined by Webster as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” My favorite part of that definition is “creative imagination”. Ah, yes…imagination.

My interpretation of art stretches that definition. Art is something that stimulates positive energy. Art is something that inspires. Art is found within the individual.

To me, art can be found in everything I sense. Everything I see. Everything I hear. Everything I taste. Everything I smell. Everything I feel. A kind face, an encouraging word, a crisp apple, a freshly mown lawn, a warm embrace.

Art appreciation does not require an education or even a single course in art history. It does not require a certain vocabulary. It does not require you to have a talent. It does not require a certain income. Acquiring an appreciation for art simply requires the willingness to broaden your mind, open your heart, and breathe in the art that is your life.

And smile.