The essence of art is more than objects and paintings. It reflects the present, commemorates the past, and embodies the future. With its unique essence, it crosses centuries.  It is capable of connecting people across oceans and time.  The creative instinct gave birth to cave drawings and storytellers.  It still drives us as individuals, inspiring children to play and adults to become entrepreneurs.  Creativity displays itself in various ways, but hones itself on mistakes and unbridled enthusiasm. 

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Creative endeavors propel change and growth in society.  It is the artist's role to pay attention to the world around them and initiate conversations. In many cases the conversations are about formal elements of art--balance, line, symmetry, etc.  In other cases it will spark heated debates about politics or human rights. Neither is better than the other. The conversation is the important part, the interaction between individuals that was spurred by the artwork in front of them.  That is a powerful position to be in. As artists, its is our responsibility to use that position wisely.  Making art and being an artist are two very different things, and everyone is capable of both. The act of making an object for aesthetic pleasure is all it takes to produce art.  The most important aspect of being an artist, however, is to question the status quo; to use our creativity to insight new perspectives and crack open old ideals. 

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It has always taken radical ideas to spur change, and artists are good at thinking outside the box. Reimagining old viewpoints is part of the thrill in making art.  The challenge of turning an idea into something real is enchanting and, somewhat, addictive. Very often, the process is the most enticing thing about being an artist; the soft sound of paint as it brushes up against canvas, the subtle feeling of wet clay between your fingers, or the fierceness of pouring molten metal.  The fascination with process goes back to the innate creativity that all humans have and, in fact, crave. 

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This innate desire to create is crucial to advancing society. It is really interesting to know that we are just a step a long the way. To know that someday our advanced civilization , our technology, and medicine, will all also seem archaic and primitive.  Everything we are will be lost to time except the things we leave behind.  At the rate things are going, the legacy of humanity will be shrouded in war, waste, and violence.  As artists, we have an amazing opportunity to ask people to change their perspectives and by extensions their actions.