Happy Trees

A lot of people will tell you that art comes from pain; that the great artists have all used their media to exorcise the demons tormenting them. Certainly Van Gogh, Picasso, and Kurt Cobain had their fair share of problems, and they’re recognized as huge influences in their fields. Does this mean happy people can’t create? Is it art if you’re walking on sunshine?
Put it this way: what is art? I’m pretty sure art is communication. It’s communication that occurs when mere words aren’t enough. I don’t like admitting that the power of language is less than that of other forms of communication, but to express what’s going on in your…well, your soul….you can’t really use the same format as a Toyota user’s guide. Poetry is something else altogether. You’re still using words, but completely eschewing conventional sentence structure and grammar. It’s about conveying something at a less cerebral level.
So I don’t really buy this idea that all artists are suffering. If they’re doing it for a living, they’re probably starving, but that’s another thing entirely. I think art is all about getting out what’s inside of you, and doing so in such a way that you can be proud of what you’ve created, and work to get better at it.
I myself have little to no artistic ability in any form, but I certainly appreciate the work of others. There’s a lot of beauty out there, and in this age of constant CNN and even more constant Pepsi advertising, we don’t take enough time to enjoy things like that.