Make Art Accessible

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showThe art world seems to be socially stratified as some ‘selected group’ of individuals decide what is art and what is not, who is an artist and who is not. The elitist fame of art is not a new trend. It has been like that for many years not only in art acquisition but in art education. No wonder why it is marginalize from the education system. If people can’t find a practical purpose for art education it will always be the first thing to be cut away when funds are limited. Let’s have something clear, when I speak about ‘education’ I am not talking about formal academic education alone but knowledge. When I speak about practical purpose I am not referring to art as objects you can use but knowledge you can expand to different domains. The problem is that only a ‘selected group’ get to understand the ‘mysteries’ of art like it is something out of this world. Some explanations appear to be in a language from another planet to which some people can’t relate to. The opportunity to reach people gets lost in translation. Even a trip to space begins with training on earth. You don’t take people outside our atmosphere to then teach them how to wear the helmet that would keep them alive.

Yes, art has a language of its own. Yes, art should speak by itself. No, we should not explain a piece of art to people. Yes, there should be a connection between the art piece and the individual for it to be meaningful. However, it requires sensibility and wisdom to help people relate to  what they are feeling and thinking in a tangible way because after all art is about human experience not reserved for the ‘elite’ but for all. Art is an experience to be shared by humanity. We are all born with artistic tendencies but we only grow up to pursue these tendencies and appreciate them when given the chance. It also takes courage to engage people in the creative process and to be creative themselves. Yes, art is not for ‘everyone’ in a sense but who are we pick and choose to whom it is for? Why not letting people decide if art is for them or not?

Do not misunderstand me. I am not talking about giving away our creations for the sake of art. That might just ruin the purpose of making art accessible. People should always pay the fair value for a piece of art. When people have a connection with specific artwork they will find a way to get and that would make them appreciate it more. What I am talking about here is about opening the doors and make art accessible and inviting people to engage in the arts with words and actions they can relate with. If only the ‘elite’ can acquire art pieces, that is fine by me, let it be an opportunity for artists to keep creating. Let us keep what makes it art: the human experience.

I Want Something Else

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Bas-Relief Sculptures

Several years ago I began teaching children with disabilities. I entered an uncharted territory and had no idea what to expect. It was an adventure from the start. I learned a lot about human behavior during those years.

“I want something else!”

That was the cry of one of my students. She repeated this words until she was screaming her heart out. Nothing could calm her down. Until her attention was diverted she would continue claiming she wanted something else but she would never say what she wanted. In multiple occasions I took walks with her trying to calm her down. During our walks she asked the same set of questions in the same sequence several times, “What are we doing after that?” She wanted to know what she was doing next after the walk and five or six events after that until the agenda of the day was completed.

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Wind by Ivan Tirado

I don’t think we are so different from her. We often want something else. You heard this before, “The grass is always greener on the other side”. We are always searching for something different from what we have, but we can’t tell what it is. We often want to know details of the future ahead of us. We want to be certain we covered all the bases. We want to make sure we are in control. The truth is we never are. We may claim we are but we are not even knowing what the future holds or knowing what we want, we are not. Honestly, that is a good thing.

Wanting something else provides an opportunity for hope. It allow us to consider the difference between need and want. Not being in control allow us to be thankful of the now. The past teaches us how we got here, how to live today, and to work hard for a better future. We can’t be idle but constantly moving towards our goals with the compass of hope.

Renewing our minds

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During a sparing session, one of the fighters was a little timid during a fight. His skills were not showing. My martial arts instructor Renshi Herbie Bagwell told him: “It is all in your head. From the neck down you have all you need to win”. How many times do we get paralyzed by fear? How many times we lose the fight without even trying? How many times our perception makes us forget our skills? How many times our mind is keeping us away from what we are capable to achieve?

born-again-sculpture

Renewing our minds is a concept shared by various sources. Practices that involve spiritual and emotional cleansing talk about the concept of focusing the mind into thinking positive in order to achieve results. Social cognitive theory in learning psychology explains the importance of life experiences to form what we think of ourselves based on our interpretations of those experiences. Therefore, it is important to take advantage of every situation to learn and form an acceptable, affirmative perception of ourselves. Faith, for example, speaks about believing that something will be done and seeing it done before they are done. Christianity speaks of the renovation of the as well:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)     

Born Again by Dr Ivan Tirado

Born Again by Dr. Iván Tirado

We often follow a behavior and thinking pattern based on what our environment and experiences forced on us and we end up thinking that we have no other choice but to continue living that way (remember the kid hiding during art class). Let’s give ourselves a chance towards a new life. We can’t change the past, but we don’t have to follow the same pattern. From the neck down we have all we need to win. We have a choice! We can try again! We can try something new! We can still win the fight! We can be born again!