How Should We Best Fill Our Leisure Time?

Many people enjoy art in variety of different ways: through music, movies, television, writing, reading, painting, tattoos, clothing, jewelry and even the make up they put on. Many people utilize art in order to accomplish different things, for some it is a safe haven used to escape from reality, for others it

Art was a way for students to express their inner thoughts and views creatively. For senior Lauren Mabe art was a way to express herself in various ways. Students’ artwork was inspiring to many and held significant meaning. “Art is a form of personal expression. It teaches everyone how to observe life in every detail. It teaches people how to develop concepts and think more deeply about a topic. As an artist, art creates a form of pride- there is nothing better than stepping back from something you have created and saying ‘Wow, I actually did that!’ The only thing better than that feeling is when someone pays you for it,” said Ms. Wilson.

Art education is connected to everything we say we want for our children and our schools. Arts pave the way for academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity. Arts education contributes to a positive education environment, fueling motivation to learn by enhancing skills in thinking and sociability. Exposure to the arts and learning in the arts impart proficiencies in language and mathematics.

Art has multiple purposes. Some people enjoy art for the emotional engagement they receive while viewing it. Happy or pretty things give us hope; sad things make us feel less alone in our sadness. Other people see art as a way to balance who they are as a human. Where some people see propaganda others see a reminder of what is truly important in life (Schooloflifechannel). No matter what the reason, art is a vital part of the community not easily forgotten. One thing, however, is constantly on the mind of viewers, and that is the question of what each work of art means beyond the superficial, to the language only truly understood by the human soul. Art communicates, not by audible words, but instead by symbols and metaphors that can be so

“They can express their thoughts and feelings,” she said, noting the fine arts “enrich students lives and practice of creativity. Creativity is important,” she said, pointing to a group of students who are likely to face, as adults, “challenges we cannot envision.”

By educating students any form of art, can open up new connections to imaginative thinking. The arts could even lead students to find new ways of studying that could benefit their other classes. Arts helps in finding different ways into processing ideas, not just analyzing an idea, but also taking into consideration of the more human side to things: emotion. With a student being more emotionally prepared to take on any task, it helps a student judge what is best for themselves in their routine of study. In “Necessary Edges” Yo-Yo Ma says how “we are also aware that wise and balanced judgment results from integrating the critical and empathetic, taking emotions as well as reason into account” (258). If the education system incorporates arts into the system then students could find means as to help relax from higher levels of thinking, as a means to release stress and to positively believe that they are striving to be their best. Wood supports the idea of incorporating art into education because with the incorporation of more technology placed into classes then it becomes “exhausting: a continuous period of forced engagement, with no relief in the form of time when my attention could flag or I could doodle in a notebook undetected

Art, whether it be film, television, visual art, theater and many other forms, many of times it is seen upon as purely as entertainment. However, these entertaining entities offer so much more than just entertainment. All of these different forms of entertainment provide a different insight of the

The Fine Arts are more vital to our world then society believes. The Arts take on the duty of making this world an artistic and diverse place for everyone. It does not matter what field of the Arts it is, they all play a major part of everyday life. The Arts are so interesting, mainly because there is something for everyone to enjoy. Someone could be having a horrible day, and all of a sudden they walk across a dynamic piece of art, or see an actress uttering some powerful dialogue, and then that person's whole demeanor may change.

Studying the Art is rewarding and fun. From art we could build a deeper understanding of the world we live in and how we got here. Art is like an idea brought into the world though drawing. People study art because they learn about their own creative expressions. Art is a window on our thoughts and emotions. It takes us to different times and places. For example, art holds clues from the past. It contributes who we are as people. Art gives us knowledge, inspiration and how we feel and view the world around us.

Art helped me learn to express the feelings I couldn’t say and during that time period and I choosing to study it is the greatest decision I have ever made. Art is the reason I live now. It gives me hope, happiness, and an ability to escape. I love how it can change my view and to make me feel things. This year one of my illustrations was hung in the Museum of Contemporary Art: La Jolla, and I could not be prouder.

A lot of people think that art can only go as far as a class in school, but in reality there is art around everyone. Art can be a way of life for some people, and for others it is simply just something they pass every single day. What they do not realize is that art can have benefits in different aspects in their life, in children's lives, and even the world around them.

Art is personal; an expression of inner thoughts and desires, affecting the way I not only see the world but myself. In order for a person to grow they must know who they are, their aspirations, the true nature of their thoughts, and their actuality of their persona; the physicality of art has given me this knowledge. With practicing in the arts I am able to grow as a person and I am able to see that growth within me.  For with the expression of creativity, comes an outlet, an outlet of the unconscious, forming and showing the reality of the mind. This outlet releases internal emotions and helps me to find tranquility within myself. This state of mind is a supplement for my own personal problems.  Also, I am able to create new ideas, ones that help me see the world in a new light. I am able to form a relaxing and mesmerizing state of mind, one that leaves me fascinated with the world around me, along with a deep love for simplicity.  Visual arts have truly given me an insight on my own mind and happiness in my life. This is why I full-heartedly believe and practice in the arts, to find peace of mind, not in the world, but in myself.

Art must be taken as serious as science, discovery, creation and knowledge in the sense of advancement of understanding. Each person is a physical object but each person is someone who thinks and has feelings. Knowledge and understanding is more self-knowledge because of the animated spirit that constitutes our nature. Imagination is used when watching a 2-dimensional film rather than sitting in the audience watching a live performance with everything happening right in front of your eyes. We can clearly say that worthy art directs the mind.

Good art allows me to flee the realms of reality. In my mind's limitless consciousness, I can escape the mundanity of everyday life. It opens a door in my head to a world only limited by my imagination. I am no more a slave to gravity, chained down on the earth when I am reading. I can be a bird and soar high above the clouds, or be a fish and swim deep down in the darkest depths of the ocean. I am there, I am that person, and everything else around me regardless of what it is, fades away. Sometimes these people are the one's I'd like to be but sometimes I encounter nefarious characters I wholly condemn. I am able to feel the emotions that the artist intends for me to feel. However, it is not merely reading or listening, but understanding

At the beginning of this course leisure was a topic I did not give much thought to and I felt like I did not have the time to spare to put much thought into. To me, all leisure meant was having free time to do whatever it is that I wanted to do. But after analyzing my life I noticed that I had surrounded my life with solely work and school and my “free time” was anytime I spent watching television and anytime I slept. However, after taking this course I learned that leisure meant more much than that. Now leisure to me means, as Richard Kraus states, leisure is “time which is not devoted to work or work-connected responsibilities or to other forms of discretionary or unobligated time,” (Olson et al., 2003, 12). The “time” in which Kraus