I feel that art can take on many forms - some similar in nature, others vastly different. Each form is individually perceived and impacts each viewer/observer/participant differently. However, the root of art to me is meaning. It's about conveying a message to the audience that can then be interpreted and translated in a personal and individual way. To me, it's all about what the art says to you...for example, how does the music make you feel, what do you think about when watching a dance, what do you see in the colors (or lack thereof) of a painting or drawing? The answers to each of these questions are uniquely personal which is, in my opinion, what makes art so appealing. There is no right or wrong answer - simply what you take from the experience and where it leads you as a result.
I do not consider myself an artist. Correctly or incorrectly, I find artists to be those individuals who engage in art as a display - a way to express themselves to an audience. This is not to say that artists don't reap tremendous personal benefit from the art in which they engage as I am sure they do. However, I think there is a huge difference between an individual who engages in and shares their art with an audience (an artist) and an individual who looks at art or creates art solely for personal enjoyment or gain (appreciation). I fall firmly into the latter category. I have a huge appreciation for art and I enjoy a variety of art mediums such as dance, music, theater and photography. However, my participation in these (and other) art mediums is very limited and occurs solely for my own personal enjoyment. I found early on that I have a creative nature that allows me to envision and create art in my head but bringing those artistic ideas to fruition proves difficult. I found that what I saw in my head never really translated to real life quite the way that I expected it to and I had trouble adapting when that happened. Frustration and irritation would set in which led to many abandoned efforts. I discovered instead that I found a great amount of joy in observing and enjoying the art of others instead.
I do make time in my life to attend traditional "art events" as much as I can. I particularly enjoy music, dance, theater and film so I make time for events such as these. I have a 7 year old daughter who loves the ballet and the theater so we also attend events together which I enjoy. We had our traditional annual trip to the Nutcracker this holiday season and I found that I never tire of watching her eyes light up when the Dew Drop Fairy arrives on stage. I also have a 16 year old son and much of my appreciation for music comes from him. He is constantly introducing me to new artists which has resulted in a rather eclectic mix of music on my iPod. Which playlist you will find me listening to is tied directly to my mood and what I'm up to...I am an avid runner and you may find me tuned to Kanye West or T-Pain on one run and to Darius Rucker or Sugarland on another. Though my time for attending art events is limited as a mother/teacher/student, I have found as I get older that I have begun to notice art around me more instead of it being relegated to simply the events and settings in which it is traditionally found. For example, I am a teacher of young children and I see art in the work that they do, in the way that they play, the way that they move their bodies and even sing to themselves. I find that I get a large dose of joy in my life from noticing the beauty and the art of everyday life. Perhaps this doesn't adhere to the scholar or critic's definition of art but I feel like the definition of art is individual and personal and thus can't be pinned down by one neat and tidy definition. To me, that may be the beauty of art...because it is largely undefined and left to the viewer's interpretation it is open-ended and ever-changing.
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