Is art necessary?

I am an artist at heart and an accountant by profession. I do paper collage paintings and also enjoy painting with acrylic on canvas. I particularly like learning new techniques and styles of painting.

However, for some time, I have been tormented by the question “Is art necessary?” I have felt that maybe I should make better use of my time. Do something really productive and worthwhile. Do something that makes the world better, something really useful. and maybe to make a difference. And also find my purpose. Yes, the perennial question: is this all there is? Suddenly making art started to feel like a kind of selfish indulgence. As if I should have used my time to do something more important. So I started to wonder if any art was necessary.

Every day I read the morning paper. I read to stay informed of the news. The news is of crimes committed. Of horrible crimes against women and young children. Of the destruction caused by natural calamities. Of people who suffer from a lack of water or too much. From polluted air and climate change. From plastic that destroys marine life while indifferent governments ruin the environment. From corrupt politicians who destroy the social fabric for personal gain. Out Misinformed people who bring the economy to the ground. Wrong people at the forefront of affairs repressing and destroying the good. It makes me wonder if anything will ever help stop the rot. It hardly gives me any reason to smile. Except for the little cartoon on the back cover, Calvin and Hobbes.

So while I’ve largely felt like Nero playing the violin when Rome was on fire, I suddenly found myself on the last line there. The little Calvin and Hobbes cartoon seemed to be the only thing that relieved me of the relentless depression of the morning paper. The little plush tiger and the very cute expressions. The cleverly drawn cartoon with just 3 or 4 panels conveying a generally ingenious idea. Drawing the reader into the life of a young child sometimes makes the reader wonder where the story is going next. I am always forced to read this cartoon. Even in the mornings, when I’m late, I take a quick look at the cartoon. On vacation I take the time to sit back and marvel at the artist’s talent. How the stuffed tiger looks so alive on one panel and like a toy on the next. Thanks Bill Watterson.

So what is this cartoon if it’s not art, I wondered? It gives me a momentary respite from the depressing news and the boredom of the newspaper. In a way, it enriches me by giving me a glimpse of something fantastic. So isn’t this all art is supposed to do?

In a world full of sadness, perhaps art is like the clouds that part and let in a ray of sunlight. Isn’t that important? There will always be death, destruction, blood and tears. There will always be bad news and people who need help. But then art must also exist. Art provides a kind of relief from the sadness of life. Perhaps this could also be the reason why they made so much art in centuries past when daily life was routine and there were so many diseases and suffering from plagues and wars. And today, when we look at the works of art of the past, we are inspired and filled with wonder, the greatness of his vision, the enormity of his talent and the permanence of his works.

That is why art is necessary. Although not all art can be compared to the great masters, in its own way, every work of art speaks to someone. Provides that flash of light on a cloudy day. It elevates the soul of its creator and makes the viewer consider, even for a moment, a glimpse into a different world. And if it’s really good art, it makes the viewer stop and maybe smile or freak out.

So art is necessary. All art is necessary. I came to the conclusion that it was important for me to continue making art for myself and for the benefit of others.

The next question I am considering now is how much time should I spend on my art. Perhaps I am referring again to a quote from little Calvin, “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die.”