what is art and why is it important?

​The dictionary defines art as "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form..."

Whilst this is true, I feel there is so much more to it.

To me, art is an integral part of my life.  It is a part of my soul. If I don't allow my creative side to express itself on a regular basis, life becomes dull and I feel unfulfilled. 

I am relatively well spoken and have a fairly extensive vocabulary, however, I spend a lot of time feeling frustrated when it comes to communicating and finding the right words to use to get my thoughts, opinions and feelings across to others.

I think when I was younger, the idea of speaking up and speaking out, was something that I feared. I was bullied throughout school and felt no-one at school would listen to me anyway, so I tended to keep my mouth shut and my head down, biting my tongue, afraid to talk back to the bullies, for fear of what might happen.

I didn't enjoy school very much but I did enjoy art class, singing in the choir and taking part in musical productions that the school put on each year. It seemed that even as a child, my passion and pleasure, my refuge from the storm of life, was art.

​It was something that I had a natural flare for and I enjoyed it.

I didn't have to worry about finding the right words.

I was free to express my emotions, without having to put it in to words, so the stress and frustration was taken out of the situation.

I found that when I zoned in to my art work, I could zone out of the negativity around me, or even the negativity in my own head.  It allowed me to just be me.

But as I briefly mentioned earlier, art isn't just about drawing or painting.

I really enjoyed singing, both at school and as a young adult and I must admit, back then I could carry a tune! I don't sing much anymore but that said, it is something that I will probably pick up again at some point.

Art can also include things like writing, whether that's stories or poetry or something else. There is a lot of power in words and a lot of emotion.

Woodworking, soap or candle making, decoupage, scrap-booking, journaling, jewellery making, growing a kitchen garden or even building a sandcastle are all forms of art!

Art is important for so many reasons. Just a few of those reasons include:
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• It helps with physical development and enhancement of fine and gross motor skills in children.
• Children can learn about themselves (and others) through various art activities.
• Art can help to build self-esteem.
• Art is a useful tool for helping with emotional expression and regulation.
• It is a way of documenting and preserving history.
• Art can influence culture.
• Art can express what words cannot say.
• Art is a natural part of primal human behaviour. Children instinctively create.
• Art is like a language all of its own, that helps us to communicate. 
• The act of creating art engages both the body and the mind and can be incredibly healing. It can relax and calm or even stimulate and inspire. It is a release.
• Art is a place for self-reflection. We need art to keep us healthy.

There are many more reasons why art can be beneficial and why it is so important, but we shall cover those another time.

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary" - Pablo Picasso

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