ART ALLOWS US TO CONNECT WITH OUR INNER SELVES

Art can transform our lives. When we connect with art, we are ultimately connecting with
our inner selves. Art enables us to look within and to listen to ourselves, realize who we
are, and what we care about. It connects us to our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and
our outer realities and experiences.
When we connect with a work, it is possible to encounter a rise in emotions because it
introduces us to new experiences, provides us with a deeper understanding of our
emotions, and shines light on questions we never knew we even had. As a painter, I
love to create because I connect with who I am to my inner core, and I continue to learn
more about myself and what I am truly capable of. 
But as humans, it is essential to surround ourselves with art created by others. Art
introduces us to a whole new set of experiences and ideas that we may have never
witnessed before. These experiences allow us to look within because as people, we
decide what we’re seeing and feeling based on the emotional connection that we have
with that work of art. As people, we tend to make emotional choices that are passionate
to us, which allows us to realize what we care about and what we stand for. When we
are aware of this, we tend to be happier and healthier as individuals because we are
able to figure out our purpose in life. 
Have you ever had an emotional connection to a work of art? Have you ever
experienced a wave of emotions while standing in front of an amazing painting? I surely
have.
 
Have you ever experienced a work and could not seem to explain the feeling that it
gave you? This experience ultimately comes down to intuitively connecting with the
artist's story, their voice, and their experience. You are being welcomed into the artist's
world. 
Art gives us meaning and helps us understand our world. Scientific studies have proven
that art appreciation improves our quality of life and makes us feel good. When we
create art, we elevate our mood, we improve our ability to problem solve, and open our
minds to new ideas. According to Dr. Shelley Carson, arts ability to improve our mood
broadens our attention and allows us to see further possible solutions to creative
problems.

Professor Semir Zeki, a neurobiologist at the University College of London, affirmed that
when we stare at great art, our brain is stimulated as when we fall in love. Art brings
increased levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that aids in controlling the brains
reward and pleasure centers. That's why I believe it is so important to invest and bring
art into your home.
When you invest in a work of art, you are investing in a visual story that will decorate
your walls. Almost every work of art has a story behind it or within it because nothing is
ever created in a vacuum. It's essentially a part of the artist's life.
 
You are learning about the stories of different people, the lives the lived, the story
behind the artist, and what they went through to create that type of work. There was a
story or a life experience, a meaning or an intention that inspired that artist to create that
work. There was a mission or an idea behind that drawing or painting. When you collect
art, those ideas begin to decorate your home. And you're bringing those stories and
experiences into your sanctuaries.
 How Does Art Affect Culture and Society?
From Reference.com
Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences
across space and time. Research has shown art affects the fundamental sense of self.
Painting, sculpture, music, literature and the other arts are often considered to be the
repository of a society’s collective memory. Art preserves what fact-based historical
records cannot: how it felt to exist in a particular place at a particular time.
Art in this sense is communication; it allows people from different cultures and different
times to communicate with each other via images, sounds and stories. Art is often a
vehicle for social change. It can give voice to the politically or socially disenfranchised.
A song, film or novel can rouse emotions in those who encounter it, inspiring them to
rally for change.
Researchers have long been interested in the relationship between art and the human
brain. For example, in 2013, researchers from Newcastle University found that viewing
contemporary visual art had positive effects on the personal lives of nursing home-
bound elders.
Art also has utilitarian influences on society. There is a demonstrable, positive
correlation between schoolchildren’s grades in math and literacy, and their involvement
with drama or music activities.
As the National Art Education Association points out, art is beneficial for the artist as an
outlet for work. Art not only fosters the human need for self-expression and fulfillment; it
is also economically viable. The creation, management and distribution of art employs
many.
So what are you waiting for!  Help foster the creative you, grab a bottle of wine and
whether you come paint and party with us or prefer to paint in the quiet of your own
home, find your art outlet and release!