Soups for Our Minds

Art takes on many shapes, existing to provide joy for its creator and everyone else. Such originators can appear in many different forms. The first ones that come to mind can be the painters who use their masterful hands to craft something visual, like a painting, or the dancers, who so elegantly infuse their bodies into the reverberating rhythm. There stands the sculptor, chipping away at a slab of stone to make it come alive. Actors, who display their remarkable talents to assume different personae, are plentiful. Unequivocally, art and their respective creators surround us subconsciously, influencing us to appreciate the gift that nature has conceded us every day. When we hear the words “Mona Lisa”, we visualize the serene portrait of a graceful woman. When we hear the 9th Symphony, we perceive the fierce spirit of Beethoven fighting against all odds. When we sing the ABC’s, we in fact croon the melody of Mozart’s piano variations. In a society that is increasingly thriving on mindless consumption, we must look to art, the finer things in life, to guide us and make sense of ourselves.

The more civilized we become, the more fundamental and necessary art becomes in a world that epitomizes materialism. In my relatively tender life so far, there has been consistently two creations of art, however overlooked, that have governed most of my principles. One is music. The other may come as a surprise to some people: no, it is not painting, nor is it sculpting, nor is it acting, although I must profess that I am quite capable of lying with a straight face. It is a book. “A book? That is not a work of art!” Maybe to you, but in my glossary, a work of art is anything that takes sweat and passion to create. It could be the suit jacket of a tailor, the back hand serve of a tennis pro, or the whiskey of a brewer. The impact of music and books is evident: both essential elements of life educate and humour us in diverse means, granting us a way of escape into another realm full of pleasant terrors and giving us a chance to develop ourselves. I would not be half the character I am today without the extensive presence of these arts.

The aptitude to transcend onto a virtual journey is exemplified by books and music. The Harry Potter series of fantasy novels, for instance, was my favourite thing to read while growing up. Because of its compelling storytelling and fascinating characters, I was easily spellbound and withdrawn into the storyline, helplessly envisioning the wonders of Rowling’s magical world. This journey allowed me to get away from the real world and nurtured my insatiable imagination, helping me to discover who I was. Books also have the tendency to develop our critical thinking skills, though we may not realize at first, since the interpretation of the text is up to our comprehension. Whereas one person may understand a story as a happy adventure, another may assert that the story is despondent. The same goes for music: listening to music could leave a person enrapt in another world, relaxing the mind and soothing the heart. Such music may also trigger creativity: recent studies by Harvard have shown that writers, ironically, are more productive when they listen to music. Maybe these two creations of art are intertwined – maybe that is what makes them so unique and provoking.

Fine literature serves more as a powerful mentor in life, aiding to structure who we become in the future. The phrase “Knowledge is power” should be familiar to everyone who reads. We can learn a lot from nonfiction, which presents us with erudite information that provokes thought. More often than not, this train of thought is put into use by individuals like us to historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. to induce change, however small or great. There is also abundant fiction written by countless, prolific writers