Intro or Why This Blog

Dear reader,

Welcome to my blog. In my relatively short life, the presence of artistic endeavors and interests has been a constant. As a young child I enjoyed singing and drawing. I started playing classical piano at an early age, and later was captivated by films, which became my profession (albeit on the technical side). Any successful artistic expression – from learning a good piano piece to reading a great poem to making a craft with my hands – has brought me great joy. And spending time in a museum or at a concert is one of my favorite pastimes.

Yet, I never could figure out what attracted me to those things (apart from the obvious reason of doing homework or having to meet with friends somewhere). Nor could I understand the function of these activities (other than having the teacher say I’ve done my homework). Take food, for example. Eating together with family and friends is a wonderful activity to build relationships, the sensation of great food in my mouth and a full belly is very satisfying, and that food is the actual fuel (molecules and all) that literally builds my body and makes it run. Artistic activities are great to be shared with others, and they leave me with a very pleasant feeling, and… what? All of that to what purpose? And how does it happen anyways?

I’ve read many theories and opinions about art. So many people today add the adjective “creative” or “artistic” to their resumes – it has become fashionable to be such, a person of great self-expression. Yet most of my readings did not satisfy me, and I was always left with the feeling that there was a great secret other people knew that was hidden from me.

So a few years ago I started a research on the subject of art. And what I found surprised me. And as I was sharing it with friends, I realized many of them had no idea what I was taking about.

This blog is the result. It is my attempt to organize, for myself and for others, my questions, musing, searching, and discoveries on the broad subject of art. My goal is to post at least once a week, and share what I’ve learned about the function and use of art. It looks like it might involve some dead ends, and mistakes I will go back to correct, but hopefully some wonderful and helpful facts as well. I hope to hear from you your thoughts on why these posts are true – or not. Thank you for participating! Please some again soon.