3. Why Art Matters
When I was in school, art classes were seen as a bit of a joke. Sure, we recognized and respected good art. But, it was the class you took for an easy A, not to learn anything. Even the teachers seemed chagrined to be there, like it was a chore for them. The band director taught us art history. He didn't know anything beyond the textbook he used, and made it obvious he didn't care to. The art teacher we had didn't know how to draw––she drew two biceps on one arm. It looked like a pea pod. My only options for art were the art club that met during my lunch break––my choice was art or eat, so I chose art (If you saw the food, you'd understand).
Having taught art for over a decade, I'm always thankful when my students show enthusiasm for the subject, and my heart always pangs when they don't. I've heard it all, often on the first day:
Now, most texts on writing suggest starting with your weakest argument and building up as you go, but I'm going to try the opposite. So, listen up.
Art is the only subject in school involved in the production of actual treasure. Art is treasure.
Art is treasure in every sense of the word. There are children younger than you selling art for thousands of dollars. It's not just a question of skill and talent, a lot of it is marketing and being "discovered". But, it happens. Just look at...
Kareem Waris Olemilekan
Akiane Kramarik
Aelita Andre,
Advait Kolarkar,
Elisabeth Anisimow,
Sheilah Charles,
Tyler Gordon,
Kieron Williamson,
Isabella Brazhnikova.
These are all children who have "made it" in the art world. Their work is recognized as treasure.
One of my favorite stories is of Marko Djurdjevic.
Growing up in Berlin, he had trouble in school, he didn't like his subjects, all he wanted to do was draw - and that's what he did, for hours and hours every day. At 17, he wrote to a videogame company, saying, "Hey, I'm better than all your other artists, why don't you give me a job?" They laughed, and offered to let him bring his portfolio for a critique. He came to their office, presented his work. They took one look... and fired all their other artists and hired him on the spot.
Marvel illustration by Marko Djurdjevic
Marko never finished high school, and now he's a legend in the illustration industry, and wildly successful. He's worked for Marvel Comics, and many major videogame titles like League of Legends. I'm not saying you should quit school (don't quit school, kids), just that these things happen.
But, treasure isn't just about making money, it's making special things that bring meaning to your life - things you will treasure. I remember the day my son was born. The first thing I did was draw his portrait:
I know it will never sell, and I wouldn't want to. It's mine, till the day I die, just as he is. So, regardless of your marketing skills, or your interest in ever becoming a professional artist, art can still enrich your life. If I added here all the artworks I've given away to friends and family, you'd be scrolling for hours. So, if I can teach you to make art, it's the greatest gift I can give you––one of the best gifts anyone can give you, and you can use it your whole life. Picasso died at age 92. He kept drawing, even on his death bed.
Still not convinced? Okay...
Art Brings You Respect.
Telling people you're an artist is like telling them you're smart. People pause when they hear you're an artist. It's actually fun. The first thing they want is to see your work. That's your chance. Whip out a smart phone, show them your gallery. Organize your best work first.
And you wanna know a secret?
Most people are easily impressed. I mean, not too easily, you need to show some skill. But most non-artists can't see the difference in difficulty from copying a photo to arranging an original composition. They don't see the difference from working in color versus black and white. They can't see the difference in quality between a work by Renoir and one by Bierstadt, let alone Rembrandt or Da Vinci.
Most people are too easy to impress, and that's actually something to watch out for. Anyone can give great criticisms when something looks off in your art, and you should listen to that. But, only someone with a strong art background can see if your work is at a professional level. Even experts have trouble distinguishing a masterpiece from a work by a lesser artist, or even a forgery. Taking praise from everyone else can inflate your ego, which is perhaps the greatest barrier to your progress and potential.
But, getting back to my point. You show your work. Their jaws drop. And then, they consider whether they're standing next to an actual genius (because that's the stereotype), or someone who will one day become famous. And, they'll respect you for it. You even get asked a lot of weird questions like, do you believe in God? What's the meaning of life? What's the secret to this or that? What's the secret to happiness? What pencil do you use? People ask all kinds of questions, as if I could possibly answer any of it. Like I said, it's fun. And, for those of you who are young, and are often dismissed, it can be a helpful step up.
Still not interested? Okay, then hear this...
You Wouldn't Be Here Without Art.
There would be no civilization without art. This is what we all looked like before we developed art:
Art was our first great invention (or fire, take your pick). Just as today, it gave us respect, admiration. It gave our endeavors legitimacy. There's a lot we don't know about the ancient world, but we know that ancient cave painting and sculpture (and musical instruments) were relatively recent inventions. The oldest examples date back to around 40,000 BC (recent compared to the 170,000 years of homo sapiens). Art represented a step up, intellectually, and was soon followed by our herding of animals, cultivation of plants, and the construction of our first towns and temples:
10,000-9,000 BC Göbekli Tepe, one of the first temples ever built, in Turkey. Note, each pillar has a different animal carved into it.
You may think, well, okay, but that was then. It happened. We can move on now, right? Well that leads me to my next argument:
Vita Brevis, Ars Longa
This is Latin, and it means life is short, but art endures. How do you want to be remembered after you die? It's a morbid question, and, hopefully, you have many years to consider it. But, it's worth asking. And what's more, how do you want your time in history to be remembered? Your culture? Your society? Your town? Your family? Art is treasure for many reasons, a major one being each piece of art is a historical document. It records not just facts, but the values, desires, ambitions, fears, the trends, the mood, even the fashion of a culture at a specific moment in time. When you create art, that's your chance to add your voice, and your unique vision into the mix––to add to our Earth's history. That's a big deal:
And now, for the arguments you might not want to hear, but are good for you––like eating broccoli or beets:
Art Helps you Grow as a Person
Art teaches humility, resilience, and patience because it is a process of making mistakes and trying to fix them. That's the one lesson that keeps hitting me each and every time I pick up a pencil, brush, or whatever. I start each work quickly, joyfully, sketching the major elements, placing the basic colors––until I hit a wall. It's the moment when I'm still far from finished, I've done all the first steps I had planned out, and my work still looks bad - I mean crude. And, I ask myself, "Okay, what next?"
And the only answer is to keep going. Keep slugging it out. And, I know, if I do, the result has a good chance of looking respectable. It might even be breathtaking (I've done it once or twice). And there's also a good chance it'll still look awful and I'll have to give it up––I have many of those as well. And, I work knowing it probably won't be finished at the end of the session - and that's okay. It need not be finished, merely better than it was. Ultimately, I only like around 70% of what I make now? But who knows, I may look back in five years and think, "Yech, that's embarrassing." That happens as you grow––and it's a good thing. Humility, resilience, and patience - these traits will help you with so much more than art throughout your lives.
But, art teaches more than that. Just looking at art confronts us with all sorts of new ideas, dilemmas, questions. Think of all the movies you've seen with conflicts: war stories, horror and sci-fi, man vs. nature, romantic struggles and rivalries. Art takes all these problems and presents them in a way that's safe, digestible, even rational so that we can think about them constructively. It helps us prepare.
And, finally, here's an argument in case you need to convince your parents:
There are Many Promising and Rewarding Careers in the Arts
Art is everywhere, and so are the artists who make it. It's a shame we don't value them more. Part of the problem is that our modern society has limited the definition of fine art to include only those artists selected by museums of contemporary art, and corresponding galleries like Saatchi, which take an outsized role in the selection process - one that has more to do with business, profit, and making a splash than the public good. But, if we expand the definition of art to include those who play the greatest roles in our lives, it's fascinating who we find:
Ken Sugimori
This is the creator of Pokemon.
Jaakko Iisalo
This is the artist who designed all those Angry Birds you may have grown up with.
William Steig (1907-2003)
This guy was the author and illustrator who created Shrek.
Josh West
And this man is the computer animator/modeler who created the modern version of Shrek you all know and love.
Jay Shuster
This is the artist at Pixar who designed Wall-e, the vehicles in The Incredibles, and all the characters in the Cars franchise.
Leonardo Fioravanti
Speaking of cars, this is the artist who designed the Ferrari Testarossa, the F40, the 288 GTO, and my favorite, the Berlinetta Boxer.
Marcello Gandini
This man designed the Lamborghini Countach and the Diablo.
Jack Kirby (1917-1994)
Adi Granov
This is the artist who designed the modern version of Iron Man and Spiderman for the Marvel film franchise.
Ralph McQuarrie
This concept artist designed all the major characters for the original Star Wars trilogy: Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C3PO. In fact, it was his artwork that convinced 20th Century Fox to make the first Star Wars movie. He also worked on ET, Close Encounters, Battle Star Galactica, Star Trek IV, Indiana Jones, and won an Academy Award for his work in Coccoon.
Sandy Powell
This artist designed all the costumes for Interview with a Vampire, Shakespeare in Love, Gangs of New York, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
This is John Williams, the composer who wrote all the music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, ET, Jaws, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and countless others. All of this written by one man.
And this is Mel Blanc, the voice actor who did all the voices for Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, the Tasmanian Devil, Marvin Martian, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, as well as Barney Rubble and Dino on The Flintstones, Spacely on The Jetsons, Woody Woodpecker, Heathcliff, and many others. All of these characters were really just one man!
I could go on for hours. There are so many artists that touch our lives, that we never hear about. Like I said, we live in a culture that doesn't value artists, and largely takes their work for granted. Hopefully you can help change that. After all, the future is yours.
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