Three Ways Art Keeps You Self-Aware: Art in itself doesn’t give a flip about you. If you show up in front of a piece of art it’s not too concerned if your mind is filled with slumberous thoughts. The artist or creator of the work, on the other hand, is strengthened and energized to the point of being jubilant. There’s pride of ownership in the knowledge that a blank canvas or a chunk of marble could be turned into something so magical.
Self-awareness or an interpersonal relationship with a work of art and its creator, no matter how remedial, is impactful in three interesting ways. But first, let’s think about self-awareness and why it’s important when it comes to being exposed to a work of art.
There are many definitions of self-awareness to draw upon. But let’s focus on your ability to concentrate on yourself: you know your deeper thoughts and emotions. There is a direct correlation between those two and creativity. It always gets down to interpretations and decoding them is always the result of your life’s experiences that perpetually bombard you from all of your senses. Conscious or unconscious our minds are always interpreting stimuli. A work of art stimulates visually and the right work of art has the capacity of penetrating your deepest thoughts and patterns.
The three ways art keeps you self-aware:
Number one. Remember a work of art has no feeling or emotion it just sits there or hangs there. The only real power it possesses is what you the viewer gives it through your sense of sight, and how you interpret what you see. The visual connection can only happen from your emotional response to it. Logic can immediately enjoy the work of art or dislike it. Either way the more you understand your mind’s inner workings, the greater capacity you have to analyze what you see.
Number two. Everything you see every second you are awake has an impact on your conscious and subconscious mind. Processing takes place in microseconds. The information is stored for later consumption but more importantly, it patterns your overall self-awareness. Art has a language of its own. Some are more sophisticated at understanding that language, for others, it leaves little or no impression especially if you are blocking the ability to connect. Being self-aware is a magnificent tool for being immersive in the visual world around you.
Number three. What is an opinion? When it comes to a work of art, its very existence invites opinions. Some of those opinions are expressed internally others are compelled to be shared with anyone who will listen. Your personality is a key component of being self-aware, along with experiences in life, feelings, motives, and desires. A work of art often manages to penetrate the conscious thinking we all do. Self-awareness gives you a deeper and more astute ability to immerse in visual thinking.
No one can truly understand your inner presence, nor can they understand what goes on in your head. Your thoughts and your ideas truly are your private property. Occasionally we express those in a positive way, and sometimes in an unflattering way. The creators of art like to be understood and flattered. But no matter how incredible a work of art is, it can only resonate with those that bring self-awareness to its presence.
“A work of art is a thought that manages to spread through emotions and leaves
much to the imagination.”
Rod Jones Artist-Writer