THE ADVANTAGES OF ART

Art, like music, painting, sculpture etc, is one of the oldest kinds of human activity and the products of these activities contribute to human wellbeing. It distinguishes human beings from other species because art allows people  to express themselves better. Therefore, it has  a great place in people’s lives. Art can also change the way people think and opens up their horizons by giving them another perspective. For all these reasons people need art in their lives.

First of all, art is an important part of the education process. The Burton study shows that school curricula including some lessons based on art increase creative thinking, the self-concept, problem solving, and risk taking of children because art develops people’s neural system that produces fine motor skills. In addition to this, art enables students to benefit from some non-academic studies. They can find something they are good at thanks to art and this helps them to gain confidence and extend their power.

In addition, art has a very effective role in the treatment of pediatric diseases. In 2008, a project was created by a university and a children’s hospital to demonstrate that pain in infants and children can be reduced by using dance. The project successfully showed that 92 percent of patients experienced reduced pain. Moreover, art therapies are a very powerful way to treat some mental illnesses because it helps to reduce their stress level, increases self-esteem and self-awareness.

On the other hand, there are some thoughts about  science lessons such as physics, math and whether they should predominate in the schools curriculums because science is more essential than art. (many people think that science is more important than art and should predominate in curriculums) However, art and science cannot be distinguished from each other. They must be merged because when scientific knowledge and discovery merge with artistic creativity, imagination removes the limits and helps people to find the solution in less time.

To sum up, art must exist  in people’s lives for many reasons. Firstly, art lessons can enhance creative thinking, the self-concept, problem solving, and the risk taking of children thanks to developing their motor skills. Art can also be used to treat pediatric patients because dancing helps to reduce their pain. Moreover, mental illnesses can be treated too by using art therapies. Although, some people think science is more important than art, when they are used together finding the solution takes less time. Hence, it is obvious that people need art in their lives.