Some of us immediately think of art museums or framed paintings when we hear the word. And given that, some people assume that I don’t actually enjoy art. I’m just not getting it. Or perhaps they believe that art is exclusive to academics or artistic types.
However, art is genuinely available to anyone who wants to experience it, and it can be found more frequently than we might think. All of these things—and more—are examples of art. Songs you enjoy, movies you watch, poems you read, plays you see, even a quilt your grandma made.
So, you might be asking, “Well, then, what exactly is art?”
This may be not easy. Since art has been around for thousands of years, it has changed in a variety of ways over time. Determining what constitutes art is challenging and has been discussed throughout history due to the fact that the motivations for making it differ from person to person and depend on a wide range of elements. Simply said, there isn’t just one accepted definition.
Many people think that art is anything that makes you feel something. Your past, your story, and almost everything else that goes into making who you are determine exactly how you feel. As a result, three different people can encounter the same work of art and respond to it in quite different ways. One person might find it to be the most stunning sight they have ever seen, another would find it repugnant, and a third might not feel anything at all. All of them would be correct, too!
Everyone has the right to their own tastes and emotions. Someone else may feel the same way about their favorite sculpture as you do about your favorite song. And even if you don’t like the sculpture, it can be insightful to think about the person who does. You might pick up some knowledge about them and perhaps even yourself.
The word “art” is merely a label. Many people have attempted to categorize what it is or isn’t over the years. Art, however, is more about your individual relationship with it and the meaning you derive from it than that. Everyone has a different way of responding to art, and everyone can develop and learn from it. Few other things can provide us the chance to share tales, preserve history, and access our emotions as it does.
Anil Dinapurna
English 
Swedish