Ever since I was little, I have always loved art be it visual art or physical art, however it has never truly occurred to me that art could be anything more than simply a creation or a moment in time. However thinking back on it now, I can clearly see how art has shaped my life and love for the environment. Every individual is made up of individual moments and individual memories that define who the person is and what they stand for; as for me, living in Colorado has helped shape my identity and has given me an everlasting love for the environment. I remember vividly that from a young age, my mom would take me hiking with her sketchbook and teach me how to draw landscapes and forests. Sometimes we would spend hours hiking just to find the perfect spot, but other times we would stop after just a few minutes, but every time the view and the landscapes would be different. Sometimes the landscape would emanate a feeling of sadness while other times the landscape would emit a sense of triumph. It was these moments, sitting by my mom immersed in my surroundings, that truly shaped who I am as a person and an individual.
However merely savoring these moments and reminiscing about the past does little to help the future and after hearing Dr. Paul Farber and Pedro Lasch about their work with memorials and art as modes of activism, I became interested in the idea of spreading my love for the environment and sharing the ways in which it changed my world. I want to use my story and portray it in such a way as to impact others to feel similar feelings as myself.
While there are many ways to portray my feelings through art (I still have my drawings somewhere), each form of art has its limitations. Drawings and paintings only affect those who look at them while poems only affect those who read or hear them. Even monuments are limited to the people who live in a certain geographic area and who happen to notice it. So how can a form of artwork affect the greatest audience and make the greatest impact?
To me, the answer does not lie in physical art but rather music. In our current society, music is one of the best ways to promote social change. People listen and follow famous musicians. Musicians have become idols in both thought and action with people seeking and wishing to emulate their every action and choice from hair style to shoe color. While this is not the art form for which I have experience, our modern society has chosen this medium and if true activism is to happen through art, I believe that music is the best way to reach the most people. Ill leave with the following quote from Plato:
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” —Plato
