The Arts and Personal Development

The Arts is a broad term, consisting of the expressive disciplines, which include among others, art, music and literature.

Learning about the arts contributes to personal growth and development by stimulating our senses and sensibilities and by awakening the creative and expressive aspects of our being.

As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said:

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

Art

Art, along with "music is a universal language. Through the ages, transcending time and space, artists have told us their stories and conveyed their emotions through drawings, paintings, architecture and sculptures. We have observed their joy, sorrow, peace and frustration expressed in their work.

Likewise, art allows us to express ourselves.
Through that expression, we communicate. When we enjoy and look at someone else's art, we see the world through their eyes. When we create our own art, we allow others to see it through ours. Whether you create your own art, or appreciate the beauty and genius of the great masters, it lifts and inspires you beyond your everyday consciousness. Enjoying art is relaxing, therapeutic and rejuvenating.

Music

"If music be the food of love, play on". Shakespeare
Music is not only the food of love; it is the food of the spirit and the soul. Like art, it is a universal language and like art it has the ability to transport you beyond your ordinary level of awareness.

Above and beyond its ability to awaken our senses, studying music helps develop critical thinking, self-discipline, spatial reasoning skills, as well as math and reading ability.

Literature

Reading the novels, poetry, short stories and essays of some of the world's greatest writers and thinkers enriches us by: exposing us to the interesting, fascinating experiences of others; giving us insight and understanding into human nature and the human condition; helping us understand ourselves; while at the same time it transports us to different worlds by stimulating our imagination and creativity.

Exploring the arts is fun and rewarding on so many levels - intellectually, spiritually and creatively.