Artists are a valuable part of society. Without them, our surroundings won’t be as aesthetically pleasing, nor our culture as interesting. While artists have different gifts in which their talents are manifested — visual, sculpting, music, movement, acting, and a lot more — they all play a vital part in making our world what it is today.
To a lot of people, an artist is only motivated by either creative expression or monetary compensation. While this is true, these are not the only things that spur an artist to create meaningful work. A lot of artists feel a greater responsibility to use their art to inspire people not just to amuse or entertain them; to provide a thoughtful critique to the different systems at work in our society; to make this world a better place.
When Creativity and Purpose Meet
Artists are a very special breed of people. They are visionaries in their own right, able to take ideas from their own imaginations and visions and make beautiful works of art. These masterpieces come in different forms such as a visually stunning painting or mural, a breathtaking sculpture, a thought-provoking photograph, a chart-topping song, a blockbuster movie, or an exhilarating stage performance.
Ask event management companies and organizers and they will tell you that having artists as a part of any show or event helps add value to it and makes it meaningful. While their uncanny abilities and talents are used as selling points for events, it is really their influence that makes them really stand out.
It is believed that the timidest person on the planet can influence 10,000 people in their lifetime. Artists are given a wider sphere of influence with a reach of anywhere between thousands to millions during their time under the so-called spotlight alone, not counting their private moments with families and friends.
This type of platform that they’re enjoying should never be treated lightly which is why a lot of artists take on advocacies and publicly speak about them in hopes of affecting change in that specific area of society.
This is one of the most responsible uses of a person’s influence and authority — to be able to help make the world a better place by reaching out to people and changing lives with their art.
Irish band U2’s frontman, Bono, is a well-known activist in the world’s battle against extreme poverty and hunger in Africa and against AIDS. The Queen of Talk, Oprah Winfrey, is an advocate for the well-being and education of women and children worldwide. Leonardo da Vinci helped make the world a better place by his conviction that science and art can work together.
These are just some artists that immediately saw the life-changing potential in their craft and ran with it. These artists are as passionate about positive change and impact as they are about their art. They realized that the influence and reach they have the potential change the world.
Artists must realize that they have the power to inspire people in a greater way, more than just making them go “ooh” and “aah” at their work. The need to effect a positive impact makes an artist truly feel relevant and significant and is motivated to give more to society in hopes of seeing a utopia in their lifetime.
They should realize that more than creative expression, they have a greater responsibility to help change this world for the better — to leave a lasting mark and a good legacy to future generations.
At the end of the day, an artist’s gift to this world is not just a beautiful piece of artwork but a positive legacy that future generations can build on so that the world will keep getting better and better.
