Art is the expression of human creativity. It comes in as many forms as there are creative people.
Art can also describe a quality of something that is creative. “That’s a very artistic book design,” for example.
And then there is art as the ideal of a thing. Not the thing itself (eg a painting or pottery) and not merely describing a trait of another thing (eg an artsy flair on window coverings), but rather, the embodiment of the best form of a thing.
Art as craft comes to mind. For example, the art of sushi making or the art of metal fabrication.
Art as honed dexterity and skill comes to mind, too. For example, the art of figure skating or high diving.
Art as awareness of human need and social dynamics also comes to mind. For example, the art of hospitality or the art of palliative care.
Whether pure creative expression, craft, physical skill, or social awareness, all art is a type of storytelling. All art is an engagement with the world around us that has a within it an implicit invitation for others to see through these eyes, these hands, this body.
Whether it’s the many years that goes into mastering the perfect spiral pass or oil painting technique, all art says, “Watch closely and you will know better who I am.”
