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There is more to the arts than entertainment |
| Written by Eric Giles, on May 07, 2008 |
 Although the performing, visual, and literary arts have always been viewed as primarily vehicles for entertainment there lies within a concept responsible for the vitality of any community: creativity. Creativity is the heartbeat of innovation and the core ingredient for problem-solving and entrepreneurial enterprises.
Daniel Pink in his recent book A Whole New Mind argues that the effective next generation leader will need to be a creative worker not just a knowledge worker. From an early age we are indoctrinated into a belief that creativity is the purview of the select few- the artists. This is a falsehood. In our everyday lives we constantly dip from our own creative well, whether it is creating a better filing system for the office, solving a problem on a project, designing a presentation, empathizing with a friend, or just finding an alternate route to work.
It is in our active experiences with the arts that we learn and hone our skills to adapt and innovate. We engage our imagination
through activities like writing, painting, dancing, or experiencing the creations of others. When applied these concepts of innovation, expression, creativity, and beauty inform how we progress in every field, from medicine to business to technology to public policies. From the arts we learn how to create new ways of thinking, new paths to our goals, and new understanding and appreciation for diversity. The arts are the foundation and primary agent in forward-thinking change.
How odd is it that the arts are perceived as an extra? The icing added onto the fully formed cake. This is sadly reflected by the fact that many arts organizations face a continued reduction in funding and dwindling audiences, that we have to fight to keep art and music departments alive in our schools, and that many arts oriented organizations in America have to constantly convince their communities of the importance of the arts first before carrying out their primary mission.
We need the arts as we need a rising agent in any cake we bake. They are an essential component in the development of leadership in personal life and community life. They are the heartbeat in a vibrant community and a natural ally in revitalizing despondent and stagnant environments. I urge you all to write a poem, see a show, visit a gallery or museum, and practice your creative drive. Or, volunteer with an organization like Lifepieces to Masterpieces or Teaching for Change and see first-hand the power of the arts to transform communities.
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