Why Everyone Loves Art

There are many silent joys of art no one talks about. I do not think artists are trying to hide the wonders of doing art from everyone else. The enjoyable parts of art are often side effects of the process- rarely are they the goal of an artist. I think there's so much pressure in all hobbies that you have to be an expert or else you are an embarrassing amateur. We should leave this thinking to rot. It's important to dismantle this idea that everyone who starts learning a skill (e.g. painting, tennis, biking) is an amateur at the beginning of a trail to expertise. Not everyone wants to be an expert in every skill they practice. We need to recognize people pick up hobbies for all sorts of reasons. If more people felt comfortable enough to do art and suck at it more people would also reap many of the benefits I'm about to tell you about.

If this is you trying to dip your toe into art, I have resources that can guide you in finding what art and art supplies you might like! Here's also a link to a general list of art supplies every artist should at least try once.

1. Hand coordination

   When I first started drawing I remember I could spend an entire afternoon erasing and redrawing a line. I started drawing at age three and I remember from then to about age eleven I felt like my hands just weren't capable of making certain lines. Over time I did notice my hands started to change. Doing fine and delicate details and practicing making lines gave me very steady hands. Even my handwriting got better as my hand coordination got improved. I know elderly people begin to loose dexterity as they get older. I think doing art consistently might allow you to have better hand coordination even at an older age.

2. The world is actually more beautiful

   The process of looking at a subject or reference and trying to represent that on the page is extremely hard. It takes a lot of attention and effort. After several years of doing this I began looking at the world around me like it was a reference photo. All of a sudden there were so many more things to look at and find. I noticed ground squirrel burrows, delicate plants that hide near tree trunks, elusive fox footprints, crags on mountains I hadn't noticed before, and I still keep discovering. The attention I give to my art can be transferred to the world around me. Before this I was a walking zombie. I could hardly remember what anything around me looked like and I don't think I cared.

3. Art can be extremely meditative

   Art for me has always been a quiet and thoughtful experience. When I was a child I would bring my sketchbook everywhere and I could draw in it for hours. During this time I would sometimes draw to a movie or TV show but most of the time it was completely silent. I wouldn't be thinking about anything in particular. I would just make lines and try to solve problems my shaky little hands would accidentally make. Even when I'm angry or frustrated art calms me down. Science has even shown calm activities like drawing actually calm angry people. Aside from this I also love the sensation of finishing a drawing. It is the same kind of slow release dopamine you get from reading a book or meditating. In fact while writing this I've had a lot of fun. I'm feeling the same kind of slow release satisfaction as I get to the end of this article.

   I hope this has inspired you to try art or think about the way you do art differently. I would love to see more people pursuing art for its benefits. I would also be interested to see how this art might be different from someone who does art first and receives these benefits secondarily.

   If you are a beginner artist and you need a suggestion on what kinds of art you should try I have a wonderful guide for you.