theconversation.com: People are dying, critical resources are stretched, the very essence of our freedom is shrinking – and yet we are moved inward, to the vast inner space of our thoughts and imagination, a place we have perhaps neglected. Of all the necessities we now feel so keenly aware of, the arts and their contribution to our wellbeing is evident and, in some ways, central to coronavirus confinement for those of us locked in at home. For some, there are more pressing needs. But momentary joys, even in dire circumstances, often come through the arts and collective expression.
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The time that we are living in today is a difficult time. People are surrounded by a solemn atmosphere, with the number of covid-19 cases and deaths increasing, people quarantined, separated from folks that they love and enjoy spending their time with. In such an atmosphere, it is really tough to keep one's spirits high and not let them get stresses or sad.
I think what this article stresses upon is a great way to keep oneself engaged as they deal with this situation. The article talks about art, of any form, and how engaging in the creation of any one form can really help to keep people involved and distracted with everything that is happening in the background.
Art is one of those few things which have no set rules that need to be followed in order to create it. Any sort of environment, with various tools, happy or sad thought, could be used to create an artistic piece. Any combination of the above mentioned and what is created is art.
These past few weeks have been difficult for everyone. I think pass the solitude from quarantine, pass the mourning of so many deaths, we are all becoming numb because we’re constantly living in crisis. It’s so easy to let the stress and sadness get to us, especially when all we pretty much only hear about covid-19 these days. I really appreciate this article's emphasis on art as a way to get us through these challenging times. It is a good way to reconnect with ourselves, and maybe that’s a thing that we haven’t done. The author pointed insightfully that our artistic styles are inherently autobiographical. This makes it even more important for us to make art now because it can act as a good diagnostic to how we are feeling so we can do something to make ourselves mentally be okay.
I think this article is completely right, art is crucial right now for people’s well-being and for humanity. Art is how people express themselves and how they are feeling and right now people are feeling feelings that they have probably never felt before so the art that will be created during this time will be art like no other, and I think that is something that will be able to be seen. Art is studied in history, it is an expression of the world at the time. Hopefully, generations to come will never have to experience what we are going through right now, but they will be able to learn a little about it through the art that is produced in this time. They can see what people are doing, how people are feeling and what the general tone of the world is. Art created during this time will live on forever or for a very long time and that is really special.
Art is so incredibly important especially right now. I think that that’s one thing we all are going to learn from this whole ordeal. Making art, looking at art in books, reading, listening to music, watching movies etc. is what’s going to get us through. I’ve noticed that many theater companies are offering live readings of performances so that they can continue to do theater. There’s a storyteller who lives in my area and he has been telling stories every week on Facebook live. All of the silly tik toks and memes coming out right now are even an art form in themselves. I keep seeing people who are learning how to embroider, or do all kinds of crafts! It’s really inspiring to see the creativity that is coming out of this quarantine. Art brings us all together and allows us to comment on our situation so this is a perfect time to use it to express ourselves.
The end of this article shook me a bit. It just hit me how much the world will change after this virus. We are still in the middle of this crisis and there is no certainty when it will end and what its result effect will be. The mystery of it all is scary. Coronavirus has really made me reflect on my position as an artist, as I’m sure it has for many people. For me, a lot of my best work comes after I had experienced something in my life that caused me grief. The work itself isn’t always sad, but it’s when I feel my most motivated. After reading this article, it made me realize why. Art is my connection to my own humanity and personality. Reaching out to it in a time of stress and sadness is my unconscious way of comfort for my own identity. Just like all of the artists out there, I don’t know how this virus will affect me in the end, but I am certain the art created after will be powerful around the world.
I completely agree that art is crucial in this scary and isolating time. Immediately upon arriving home a few weeks ago, the first thing I wanted to do was create something. Since then, I have been drawing and painting multiple pictures of pittsburgh architecture that I had taken before moving away. It's keeping me sane. It is sometimes hard to think of art as relaxing since that is what most of our schoolwork is, but it has been huge for keeping me sane during this quarantine. I feel like when we create we are able to connect with ourselves, and unlock parts of our personality. Plus it is fun. It is something that you can look at and appreciate and realize how long it took and feel pride. I think it has been incredibly unifying in this isolating and troubling time. We are getting through it together and that is truly beautiful.
I saw a quote on Instagram that really resonated with me regarding art during this time. “As you binge watch your tenth Netflix series or read a book or sleep to music, remember. Remember that in the darkest days when everything stopped, you turned to artists.” And this quote has stuck with me, because the general population has turned to artists, and artists have turned to art to get through this time. Because as artists, we use this time as a release and a catharsis to experience and understand the emotions we feel. But as people, we are similarly turning to the art as our way of escape. Creating allows people to freely experience and understand what is going on in the world. There are no rules. There is no structure. In a lot of ways, art is anarchy and it’s how we can rebel the norm- but it is also how we can connect and bond with each other, especially now when the physical connection and bond is severed. While no one should feel a pressure to create, I think it is important to create, to respond, and to engage. And if not create, at least consume.
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