War of Art

"It's a man's world" is a saying that should ring familiar with most of you, dear readers. If this holds any truth, that would explain why sports and war have cluttered up the garden of life; the arts. Art struggles in almost every location of America. It struggles to keep its place in the priorities of schools, family, and city government. Let's explore the world of creative arts and compare it to things like military, sports, and movies. In the end, maybe we will discover that paintings and theatre are indeed "manly" items that deserve a little more focus from the majority of the population.

First, I want to answer the question "Why are the arts always the first considered to be cut when funding issues arise?"  I believe it is fair to say that art programs, whether school or individual, are one of the areas the powers that be look to cut when they need more money. Could it be because they obviously cannot see the overall big picture, the value of the arts, and the scale of impact? Certainly putting on a stage production of Steel Magnolias won't put food on the table, end a war, or cure cancer.

But the biggest epidemic is that it isn't considered "masculine" enough. Don't believe me? I wanted to take my nephews to the live theatre, maybe get them involved. One of them said that acting was for girls.

Really? I didn't realize that Bruce Willis, wrestler Dwayne Johnson, and Ice-T were women. Now, yes he is a little boy but if that is what he thinks now how will he appreciate and value that as an adult. He does not have to be an artist. In fact, his natural personality leans towards sports and it is obvious he loves it. Does that mean he can't go to an art museum or attend the symphony? Tell me a mature, stable, and worthy woman who does not appreciate a man who can scream at the Superbowl but also respect a Bazille painting.

So, I said that a play would not cure cancer and so forth. Let me take that back. The arts have been proven to stimulate the mind. From Beethoven for Babies cd's to the magic of a falling chandelier at Phantom of the Opera, the brain is exercised by these creations just like a workout strengthens the bi-ceps. Creativity is where true problem-solving skills come from. Say whaaaaa...?  Yes, it does. Think about it.

If you were the man who studied art enough to be able to create those old "hidden image" posters, then you must be able to figure out ways around problems. If you can imagine an image that doesn't exist, then you can imagine a solution to a problem that seemingly doesn't exist. Sharp problem solving skills is what makes a good leader, a good project manager...be it a President or a fast food worker.

In the 90's, some pro-football players discovered the benefit of ballet...YES, I said BALLET! Stop questioning me!!!  They realized that the strict and difficult lessons taught in that field of dance could be applied to movement on the field to not only reduce injury but make them better players.

The arts are not less masculine...they are masculinity with more finesse. It's masculinity with a dash of intelligence to go with it. Cavemen drew on walls for crying out loud! They didn't leave that for the women. Storytelling was part  and is part of many cultures and men are as involved (if not more) than women.

Let me assure you, working a 40 hour job then spending 2-4 hours lifting heavy wooden platforms and furniture is not "easy."  Memorizing almost a hundred pages of lines is not "easy." Taking a violin and creating a sound that makes people ready to fight or cry is a form of power. Ask an average stranger off the street to paint the voice of God...and only an artist would understand the request and produce an answer.

We should not be fighting in wars and having personal civil battles with our neighbors for the sake of "fighting."  We should be at war to protect and preserve one of the things that separate us from barbarians and animals; our ability to make the world a better place to look at and listen to.  Otherwise, when the dust settles from our war, we will be left with a depressing and ugly environment that has absolutely no value.

Picture that typical child or teen, dealing with the drama of hormones, heartbreaks, and responsibilities. They instinctively turn to poetry, painting, or photography to cope. They have usually not had the time or experience to know how to deal with a lot of things, but expressing that in a way that doesn't involve shooting up a school or running away from home has got to be encouraged. It's why I hate that schools, parents, and families over react to drawings that may be a little dark or morbid. I wrote things all the time that may have sounded mental, but once I wrote them those thoughts down I was usually over them. Jumping on their case and kicking them out of school over a drawing would most likely make a kid who is already feeling alone or mistreated even MORE alone and mistreated. Sure, it's a flag something is wrong but freaking out is adding fire to the fuel.

Art is the one place where opinion is appropriate and never wrong. People argue over politics and finances. Those things must be studied, facts must be gathered, and in those facts are solutions. People argue on these things because one side or the other is missing (or ignoring) facts making one side wrong. In true art, there is no wrong side. 

Football serves its purpose. It instills the healthy competition (or it used to). War and fighting are unavoidable, but they should not be treated like a past time or the answer to every problem. They should protect that which cannot protect itself; which includes art.

The arts, however, need to be given as much attention as those things if not more. It's not men or women; it is people. Artistry the thing that makes a difference between Justin Beiber or One Direction and Mozart or Imogene Heap. It's the thing that connects us, regardless of all of our differences. It is a weapon that we can use against lack of education, anger management, lack of focus, broken families, confusion.

I once went to a small town red neck bar for karaoke and got the strangest looks. I hesitated but got up and sang. These blue collar men and women gave me a standing ovation. Art.

Christianity is quick to talk about "creation." The fact that God created everything and that men and women "created" (babies, arks, homes, furniture, fabrics, etc).  If you believe that there is a God, creating something truly beautiful has got to be one of the "creations" he encouraged of man. 

Civilizations used to know that art was the key to wealth. When countries were developing, the leaders knew they needed culture for their cities to have value.  Art needs to be as mandatory as Spanish and treated as poignant as sports. This is how we can change America for the better. This is how we can get closer to a heaven on Earth.