Reality in Art!

So often, we think of art as abstract and seperate from reality. We observe it or listen to it and may possibly enjoy it, but then we dismiss it as some sort of high that gives us peace for a short period and then we have to come back down to reality. I have done this many times. However, I think it's terrible. I think it's not a temporary high, but actually allows us to feel reality even more. It opens our minds and free's our souls. Some people think it's strange that we can come to deeper, philosophocal conclusions after seeing a certain movie, or listening to a certain song, or seeing a certain painting/sculpture. I think it's beautiful. Even if I don't notice it right away, it opens up communication and allows us as humans to really grow in our relationships with one another. Not to mention, it can work as a great ice-breaker when your interested in someone and don't know how to get a conversation going. Even when we don't aggree with conclusions some people make about some art, or maybe we don't aggree with the art itself, it still challenges our thinking and forces us to really think about what moves us, drives us. We always need to be challenged. Our minds need exercise just as much as our bodies. In fact, I would say it is more important for our minds to be exercised than our bodies. Of course, certain forms of art inspire and move us more than others. For me, it has always been music. The styles of music have changed for me over the years, but it has always been music. Perhaps, I spent so many of my adolescent years trying to figure out who I was, that now I appreciate music's power and joy even more. Sometimes, music is the only thing that makes me feel, that brings me to the place that I have been avoiding for way too long. Instead of feeding pills to people stuck in depression, we should immerse them in art. It allows us to stop hiding within ourselves and embrace life with a new perspective. Music, along with all forms of art, is a gift from God that should be embraced and used to the fullest. I encourage everyone to not see art through hazy eyes, but to open them with a clear view to see reality. I hope I've made sense. I'm really tired. It was just on my heart to write about. Also, I was given some divine inspiration through Starbucks. I usually never pay much attention to the opinion pieces they have on the cups, but this morning, it caught my eye, as if I was writing it myself. So, I'll leave you with this pearl of wisdom. It is by a man named Oliver Sacks who, apparently, is an author. Peace and love to you all.

"Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears-

it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear.

But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more-

it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement,

to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity."

- Oliver Sacks