Today, we live in an era where the media encourages people to consume and possess, where the pursuit of power is presented as almost the only value. Whether we want to or not, we are constantly trying to get somewhere or do something. In this fast pace, we act as if we don't even have time to stop and smell a flower. How long have we not listened to the song of a bird? We have forgotten to listen to our own inner voice due to the intense external stimuli coming from our environment.
Actively engaging in and producing any form of art takes us away from the stress of daily life and creates an opportunity for us to listen to our inner voice. Music, painting, photography, ceramics, ceramics, model making, gardening, writing... whatever it is, it allows us to get away from the outside world and do something for ourselves, to take a break and discharge the tiredness and tension of the day.
We can also turn cooking, sewing, various handicrafts into an art. All occupations allow us to get to know ourselves better. No matter what we do, when we concentrate our attention, when we focus on what we are doing, we don't think about anything else. This reminds us to live in the moment as we did when we were children, to enjoy the moment without thinking about the regrets of the past full of "if onlys" and future worries. This is where the healing power of art emerges. Art is a space where we can easily reveal our inner world and express ourselves openly.
We reflect our emotions such as anger, fear and pain, which we hesitate to express verbally because we think they will not be welcomed, into the products we make without worrying about being judged or shamed, which allows us to relax and create a peaceful inner world. Sometimes words may be insufficient to express ourselves, art gives us the opportunity to express our feelings and thoughts in sound, rhythm, movement, color, form, pattern, etc.
Our art is an expression of our feelings and thoughts and through art we can express our negative emotions in a harmless way. In the course of time, we realize that we reflect our enthusiasm and joy in the paintings in which we reflect our inner troubles and tension. Every individual has innate creative potential, and if we allow this constructive and creative energy to emerge, we will achieve beautiful and exciting results that will surprise even ourselves.
Art also gives us the pleasure of creating an aesthetic product, the pride of being admired and appreciated, and increases our self-confidence. The moments we engage in art are the moments when we step away from adulthood for a while and bring out the child in us. The important thing is not that the products we create are perfect, but that we benefit from the healing power of art by integrating our mind, emotions, body and soul in the process of creating it.
If we release our emotions and thoughts, we realize that we hear our inner voice more, that we are free from worries and anxieties, that we relax and unwind. When we concentrate on what we are doing, we don't realize how time flies, it is one of those moments when we step out of daily life and are alone with ourselves. Discharging without reaching the explosion point is an achievement of art. Therefore, in my opinion, neither "art is for art" nor "art is for society". Art is primarily for human beings.