Why You Need Art in Your Life – Jordan Peterson

(The following was put together from snippets of a number of lectures I have watched by Jordan Peterson on the topic of art. I believe writing shares a number of similarities with painting so I’m always moved and inspired when exceptionally articulate people try and explain why so many of us spend so much of our time creating things that will never bring us any financial rewards. Apparently we don’t have any choice.)

Why are they looking at that painting? Why is it worth so much?

And the answer to that is “We don’t really know.”

They’re sacred objects in some sense. We gaze at them in ignorance and wonder. And the reason for that is the unknown shines through the artwork in partially articulated form.

That’s the role of art.

That’s the role of artists.

Real artists are contending with the unknown. They are possessed by it. Putting a foot out into the unknown and making sense of it. Bringing to public awareness elements of being that have not yet entered the collective consciousness. Expanding the landscape. They do that by translating what is of yet unimaginable, but sensed, into what is at least imaginable They are problem solvers.

The artistic product, the painting, is the consequence of that rather than the aim. The aim is to formulate the problems and work out the solutions.

Artists move us forward into the unknown.

And they are cursed with the necessity of trying to make a living while they are doing that, which they can’t because it’s almost impossible to monetize creative action.

It’s not that creative action is without value, creative people make things that are magnificent and beautiful, it’s just difficult for them to get any of the economic value of what they have produced.

So buy a damn piece of art. Buy one that really speaks to you. Invite that into your life.

It opens your eyes into the domain of the transcendent

You need that in your life because you’re finite and limited, bounded by your ignorance.

-Jordan Peterson