We need new ideas, we need new ways of doing things and we need a whole new way of

approaching each other with much more empathy and understanding. This means that the rest
of society really needs to focus on the world of art and culture as a vital source for not only
solutions, but also ways of finding solutions and a whole new concept of what a valuable life
really means. Uffe Elbaek, former Danish Minister of Culture

Can we transition the values of our society and economy within a generation? Well we
need to give it our best shot, armed with insight into what makes a real difference. Our
customs, behaviors, and values are byproducts of our culture. No one is born with
greed, prejudice, bigotry and hatred; these are all learned behaviours. We need to find
more and better ways to learn from and understand each other, disrupt vested interests
and imagine and create more sustainable ways of living.
Art and cultures core practice is one of the most participative, dynamic and social forms
of human behaviour. It has the capacity to trigger reflection, generate empathy, create
dialogue and foster new ideas and relationships and offers a powerful and democratic
way of expressing, sharing and shaping values. It can help us build new capabilities and
understand how to imagine and rehearse a different way of being and relating. It can
enable us to design useful and meaningful things and is increasingly the basis of
livelihoods and enterprises that are motivated by much more than profit.

But to fully release this potential, we need to deepen our understanding of how arts
impact on our values and rethink how and why we value art. Our values represent our
guiding principles, our broadest motivations, influencing the attitudes we hold and how
we act. They shape the way we look at and understand the world and the mental
structures that order our ideas. They are the frame through which we construct the
stories that we tell ourselves and others about what is important.

In The Art of Life, Tim Kasser, professor of psychology and co-author of Common
Cause; The Case for Working with our Cultural Values, sets out the evidence base for
the shaping of values and explores the potential of engagement with art and culture to
affect our:

self-acceptance,
affiliation, and
community feeling,

As well as values that are known to affect higher levels of personal, social, and
ecological well-being such as:
 freedom,
creativity,
self-respect,
equality and
unity with nature.

http://valuesandframes.org/the-art-of-life/
http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/common_cause_report.pdf

Anna Reyner, an art therapist, wrote the article "Art Influences Learning" in which she said, "Much has
been written about how art enhances creativity, imagination, and self-esteem, but far less is said about
how art encourages cognition, critical thinking, and learning." She mentions the U.S. Secretary of
Education report, "The Value Added Benefits of the Arts," which states, "Studies have shown that arts
teaching and learning can increase students cognitive and social development. The arts can be the link
for students in developing the crucial thinking skills and motivations they need to achieve at higher
levels."

Art is present in everyday routines in many ways. Many people are aware of it while others are not; still
others are indifferent. Promoting the benefits of art could be a difficult task. "To promote art," Dr. Cole
said, "we have to expose people to art, encourage them to visit museums, and also educate gallery
personnel to bring friendly treatment. Some people go to museums and get out angry because of the bad
treatment by the personnel. Educating gallery personnel is very important if you want to promote art."

Common people are affected by art in different ways. Hendry said, "People react when they look at an
artwork filtering their emotions through their personal experiences, their personal history."

"The way people are affected by art," Dr. Cole said, "depends a lot on their upbringing the amount of
exposure to art that they have and what is their conception of beauty."

Art is a medium of communication and it can have a deep impact, or be very tenuous. "If we are open to
art, we can take advantage of it; if we are closed to it, there is no way," Dr. Cole commented. She added,
"Deep (arts communication) as you allow it to go. If you allow yourself to feel the soul of the artist you are
going deep."

"Art can serve as inspiration to awaken the imagination, talent and skill hiding in someone. It can unlock
your fears and insecurities about creating," Prather wrote.

Hendry corroborated this, saying, "This is why art is important to me in my life. All those thing inspires
creativity, discovers hidden talent and unlocks fears and insecurities have helped me and helped my
students."

http://swc2.hccs.edu/proberts/diginetxpress/fall2011/culture/goto.xml
Art reflects life. It is a portrait of history, whether it is history of the current moment or an event in the past
or something of the imagination. Art has captured an event, clarifying its existence and representation to
society. The portraits of the French Revolution by David, Benjamin Wests portrayal of the death of
General Wolfe and Poussins recreation of the Rape of the Sabine Women all strive to provide a version
of historical events. Society, in turn, can accept or reject these portrayals of true events. Sometimes, as in
the case of Goyas depiction of the French behavior during their conquest of Spain, art inspires a deep
hatred of a certain nationality.

Art encapsulate a countrys culture during that time period. Rembrandt, Rousseau, Monet, Hogarth,
Whistler, Jan Steen, Frans Hal and Breughel depict for their generation the world as they see it. They
affect future society by providing concise, if sometimes imaginative, depictions of daily life. Brughel the
Elder paints peasants, Jean Baptiste depicts lower-class life and Daumiers subjects in The Third Class
Carriage are not the

lofty work of Gainsborough. The wit and graphicness of Hogarth in The Rakes Progress or the imposing
work of Thomas Eakins The Gross Clinic provide historians with clues and pictures to a vastly different
way of life. Jan Steens The Eve of St. Nicholas provides a way to uncover how people spent Christmas
in the early 17th century in the Netherlands.

Art has stirred the imagination of all nations from the earliest time. It has helped roused patriotic fervor,
brought new ideas and culture to light, raised questions and rewritten or reinterpreted historical events.
Art has provided clues to the past and advanced questions about the future. Its impact continues to be felt
emotionally. For, above all, art touches us beyond the intellect, reaching down into societys emotional
core. In the end, the greatest impact of art is its ability to provide us with the truth about the world seen
through the eye of an artist.

http://eartfair.com/blog/arts-impact-on-society/

- Art Therapy
http://www.arttherapyblog.com/what-is-art-therapy/#.WQNzp-ArLnA
- Relieve Stress
https://www.verywell.com/art-therapy-relieve-stress-by-being-creative-3144581
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/study-says-making-art-reduces-stress_us_576183ece4b09
c926cfdccac

- Health
https://bebrainfit.com/the-health-benefits-of-art-are-for-everyone/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/make-more-art-the-health-benefits-of-creativity_b_88
68802.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-friedman-lmsw/art-mental-health_b_1562010.html