4 responses so far ↓

• 1 CirceNona Jan 31, 2007

  My very first thought about whether art can save the world is ” I sure as hell hope so!”. Coming from an overtired brain, I think that it is going to have to be creativity that will bring about change in the world. I’m thinking specifically at the moment about the situation in Iraq (as an Army wife, something always in the back of my mind), but also about any other quagmire a person or the whole world might be in. Something creative, above and beyond normal thought is what’s needed because whatever has and is being done isn’t working. Not to sound PollyAnna Sunshine, but maybe love and nurturing instead of guns and bombs? Maybe that’s an idiotic thought? Maybe I’m not far enough down the creative path yet for the right answer….maybe world peace isn’t my path at all. My creative plan would be to sit all the “playground bullies” down like a bunch of bad three year olds in serious need of a time out, followed with naptime and then cookies and milk. Maybe they need motherly guidance instead of the violence that surrounds them. Wacky, abnormal and not practical under the circumstances. But then again most creative cutting edge ideas and art aren’t practical, or normal. They’re outside the box, and beyond the current norm.

  I think as a society we’ve tried to fit everyone into such a tiny pigeonhole as to what’s expected of them. It’s horrible in schools these days, standardized tests, teachers who have to teach to the middle road only. I have friends who are teachers who hate what they have to do these days. We have to have commercials on TV to help save music programs in schools. There’s no room anymore for children to grow into their creativity, because they aren’t graded for it, or tested on it. So many of the great thinkers, artists, writers and leaders of past generations were home schooled, self educated. They had room to explore their own minds. They weren’t stuffed into a mold so they could all test nice and high on their state exams. It infuriates me sometimes. My daughter is one of those who has been in gifted classes from day one. She tests well, she conforms very well in a classroom situation. Your typical good little student, though don’t get her going one on one, what a brilliant mind and lovingly rebellious spirit LOL. My darling son on the other hand, is extremely intelligent, yet hates school, has problems in test situations because he has mild tourettes. It’s tough for him to fit into the mold. He’s bored alot of the time at school. Yet give the boy something to do with his hands,have him make something or put him on his computer and he does thing most adults can’t do. He was using the same microsoft flight simulators that pilots use to train on by the time he was six. He’s been up flying, and stunned the pilot he was with at how great he was the first time out. I’d pull him out of school for homeschooling but Hawaii doesn’t recognize homeschooling for high school which he’ll be entering in two years. I honestly think there should be varying paths for children in school, find a way to see what they’re good at, then guide them in that direction. Let them find their true gifts instead of teaching them how to sit still and fill in bubbles on a test sheet.

  Oi! what a rant, but hopefully a little bit to the point that creativity HAS to be found and brought forth in it’s myriad forms! Yes, art can save the world! If we’re willing to let it out of hiding.

• 2 bettina desrochers Jan 31, 2007

  Hi Jennifer,Yes art can save the world.

  Art brings us our truths forward in such a personal way and when we are expressing our truth there is no fear. I am not talking about the other end, of presentation.

  I remember the first time I had to present a commisioned piece of work to a buyer.I thought I would pass out on my way in to present it.

  I am talking about the peace, the truth and the comfort that comes from the creative process.

  If everyone honored their creative self, we would each have a way to speak our own truths, clearly, and then fear and the violence that comes from fear would surely have to all but disappear.

  Sometimes, when I am working with a client who is dying and they are worried about wether or not they will be delivered to their version of God, we work on creating a visual,an art piece of whom God or what God actualy is.I have never had the opportunity to do that with music I do not have those skils but imagine the beauty there?
  Ah, What peace we always seem to stumble on.

  YES art can save the world and what a great queastion.Thank You Jennifer,

• 3 Paulita Ellie Feb 2, 2007

  In short, yes. Not only can art save the world; art does save the world. I base this understanding primarily on my understanding of the word “save” which I associate with the word “salvation,” whose Latin etymological root is related to the word “salve” as in something that heals or makes whole. In my experience art and creativity have helped me heal and become more whole. I am a part of the world so something that heals me, also heals the world. When I become more whole, the world becomes more whole. There’s something intrinsically healing about creativity – new perspective, a new way of framing situations, a way to break free of dualistic, no-way-out, locked-in-conflict thinking. And, thinking of the body’s physical process of healing, of creating new cells, that is a literal creating process.

• 4 Linda Woods Feb 3, 2007

  Art saves people and people save the world. People need a creative outlet for expression- sadness, joy, frustration, anger, excitement, everything! Often a canvas or piece of paper is the only safe place where people can express themselves without fear or judgement. When people can express themselves they feel better and can make positive change. It’s easier to make global change when you feel good about yourself and can help others with positive action.