Art – The Big Words Blog Site

How Art Can Help Your Mental Health

Two focuses of my blog are General Education and Health/Wellness. The impact of the arts are not well understood in today’s world. While hard work and some luck are important to make a career out of the arts, they are very therapeutic. The following contributed post is entitled, How Art Can Help Your Mental Health.

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We should all be trying to take better care of our mental health, and that is something that might not always be quite as easy as you would hope. Nonetheless, if you are keen to do this, there are some areas in particular that you might want to focus on in order to make it easier. One thing that can help a great deal with your mental health is art. As long as you are aware of this, you’ll find it is much easier and simpler to be happy and to enjoy your life day by day as it comes.

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Expressing Your Emotions

For one, art can be a great way to express your emotions, and being able to do that is always going to be central to having good mental health. It’s problematic when you bury your emotions, or you don’t even know they are there, so it’s a good idea to be able to bring them out in some way, and usually art is one way that you can do that quite effectively. This is true for both creating art and consuming or viewing it, so it’s something that you might want to consider from both perspectives.

Dealing With The Darkness

Sometimes art is more about finding a way of dealing with the darkness. This can be a personal darkness, like when you are going through a particularly tough time, or it can be a global or universal one, such as trying to deal with fears about the end of the world. At times like that, art can be there to help you work it all out. You can watch movies about the end of times, read dystopia and utopian fiction, or create something new that you think might help people in some small way. It all helps in one way or another.

Overcoming Loneliness

Another thing that art can be very good for is making it clear that you are not alone. A lot of us feel lonely from time to time, and it can be horrible thinking that there is nobody out there who understands us. However, you can soon come to see that actually you are understood, and that for anything you feel, other people have felt it too. Art can bring people together in this way, and it’s the kind of thing that you are definitely going to find can be really useful for having stronger mental health.

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Understanding Yourself Better

Last but not least, art can be a very effective way to come to understand yourself a lot better. When you are creating or experiencing art, it often has a way of making you think about yourself in a manner that can be quite helpful in this regard. That is something that can be really effective, and it’s likely that you are going to come away feeling so much better about who you are and why you are the way you are. That in itself turns out to be a really central part of having good mental health.

How to Experience the Best Art That NYC Has to Offer

Two focuses of my blog are Art and General Education. One of the aspects of New York City is most known for is its art scene. If traveling to the city, you may want to investigate it. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Experience the Best Art That NYC Has to Offer.

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New York City is home to some of the best art in the world. From world-renowned museums to incredible street art, there is no shortage of artistic experiences to be had in the Big Apple. But with so much to see, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you experience the best art that NYC has to offer.

A Note on Independents

It’s important for you to know some of the bigger galleries that you won’t want to miss, so we’ve detailed these below. However, you will benefit from seeing some of the more independent galleries to purchase from too. When you want contemporary fine art, take a look at Agora Gallery Reviews. Or be sure to research some of the notable galleries that specialize in abstract, sculpture, and more.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

No trip to NYC would be complete without a visit to MoMA. Home to works by world-famous artists like Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali, MoMA is a must-see for any art lover. Plus, with a constantly rotating selection of exhibitions, there’s always something new to see. And if you get hungry, there’s no need to leave the museum – MoMA has its own award-winning restaurant, The Modern.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the largest museums in the world, and it houses an incredible collection of artwork from around the globe. With everything from ancient Egyptian artifacts to paintings by European masters, there’s something for everyone at the Met. And if you get tired of walking around, you can always take a break in Central Park, which is just across the street.

Whitney Museum of American Art

For a truly unique art experience, head to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Located in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, the Whitney is dedicated to showcasing American artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. And with stunning views of the Hudson River, it’s worth visiting even if you’re not an art lover. Trust us – the Whitney is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Exploring Street Art

Street art in NYC is synonymous with the culture that such a wildly diverse city brings. It can be a type of art that you may not have first thought of when choosing to explore the scene in the city. However, choosing to take a walking tour of some of NYC’s finest street art could be perfect for you. Here, you’ll get to see some incredible works of art that are on display throughout the city. A not-to-be missed for true art lovers that want to see a different side outside of the galleries.

There are countless ways to experience art in NYC. Whether you’re interested in world-famous paintings or contemporary sculptures, there’s something for everyone. So next time you’re in the city, be sure to check out some of our favorite spots! You won’t regret it.

Why Practicing An Art Can Help Your Math Skills

Two key focuses of my blog are General Education and STEM. While education seems to be more so now favoring the hard sciences, there is still an important role played by the arts. Not only do the arts make us ‘whole’ in a way, but they can also help with our education in mathematics and the sciences. The following contributed post is entitled, Why Practicing An Art Can Help Your Math Skills.

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Most things in life are numbers. Paychecks, TV channels, passwords, and shopping are just a few of the times we are faced with numbers. Math is at the basis for most things including the arts. Using the creative part of your brain is just as important as using the more cerebral (no pun intended) part of your brain. When you exercise both, your brain is more healthy, but the bonus is that your math and even science skills can be greatly improved by doing things like drawing, playing an instrument, and even dancing.

Here are a few artistic outlets you can try to balance your brain and improve your numbers game.

Take Up an Instrument

As entertaining as it is to see a musician feel the music and rock out on stage, music is really math. Each note you hear has a numerical value, and just like any scientific equation, the values all come together to make a melodious sound that is music to your ears. Notes have values like quarter notes, whole notes, and half notes that change value according to the time signature the music is composed in changing the beats and equation of the music. You will need some great math skills to be a good musician and playing music is also a great creative break from all your normal thinking.

Draw a Picture

Any architect will tell you that drawing is all inches and centimeters. To draw a great picture is all about perception and shapes, which will not only help your numbers game, but it will also help your geometry game as well. Knowing shapes like parallelogram, rhombus, or decahedron will come in handy when putting together your next great piece of art. Drawing is total perception, so knowing angles will help your artwork look like it should be hanging in a museum. Go to the store and get some art supplies and start flexing your numbers, your angles, and shapes before they get weak.

Let’s Dance

Athletes have been known to take dance because it helps them with agility and stamina on the field or on the court. Dance not only helps stimulate your physical agility, but dance can also stimulate your mental agility as well, especially in the realm of mathematics. Dance, as beautiful as it is to watch and experience, is all math. Every dancer keeps count as they dance in order to keep to the rhythm. Without music, a dancer can still perform and create a beautiful piece of art simply by using counting. By taking a dance class, you can release from the tension and stress of the world while using math to stay on the beat and move your body. If you have a science background in human physiology, dance is one of the best ways to feel the movement and workings of the body.

It may seem that art is for the artists, but little do they know, as a mathematician, without you there would be no art.

You Love Your Art, But How Do You Gain Fans Who Do Too?

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“At the very least, every artist wants an audience or some sort of recognition. Of course, that’s hard to achieve. You love your art, but how do you gain fans who do too?”

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The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and some of it’s key focuses are Art, Authors and Books, Blogging/Writing and Music/Entertainment. Whether it’s the cinematic media, music, the visual arts, or some sort of writing we all have some sort of creative genius inside of us. If we’re to make good on our talents and share them with other people, how do we create fans and supporters of our work? The following contributed post is entitled, You Love Your Art, But How Do You Gain Fans Who Do Too?

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If you’re struggling to create a career out of your artistic talents, then you’re not alone. There’s a reason that the idea of the struggling artist has become such a prevalent concept in pop culture. All artists struggle at some point; many of them struggle and suffer once they’ve become successful too. Still, it’s the price that many of us pay for the chance to share our innermost feelings and skills with the world. At the very least, every artist wants an audience or some sort of recognition. Of course, that’s hard to achieve. You love your art, but how do you gain fans who do too?

Find out what makes you unique

When Radiohead started out, they sounded similar to The Smiths and other big artists of the 80s. When J.K. Rowling first started the Harry Potter series, comparisons to Tolkien’s work were made frequently. Plenty of artists in all manner of creative industries have worn their influence on their sleeves. There’s nothing wrong with being similar to other successful artists. However, you just need to find out what makes you unique. Both of those artists ended up finding their own way. They defined themselves in a unique way, and that’s what attracted listeners. You need to know what you want as an artist. That’s how you’ll figure out your own personal brand.

The best way to find out what makes you unique is to keep creating. Instead of worrying about perfecting every single song you release or every single story you write, you should simply focus on finishing your work. Never stop creating. Even if you don’t like the finished product, you’ll have learned something. You can’t get better without practice. So, make sure you finish every creative project that you start. Fallen out of love with the song you started writing yesterday? It doesn’t matter. Wrap it up. Record it. Even if it sits in a private folder on your computer because you’re too embarrassed to release it, the point is that you’ll have improved simply by committing to finishing the project you started. Otherwise, how will you get closer and closer to creating that one fantastic song? After all, even Dave Grohl said that Nirvana sounded terrible when they first started making music in a garage.

Learn from other successful artists

Another great way to ensure that your art reaches people and captures their attention in the long run is to learn from other successful artists. Everybody has to make mistakes before they can succeed, but why not avoid such mistakes by learning from those who have already made them? You might want to read about Mateus Asato’s early years or explore the collaborative journey of painting partners like Marta Thoma Hall and Jeni Lila. You could learn some things that help you to find your own way to success.

Pursue a creative career

It’s not easy to get paid for your art, so you probably have to work to make money to afford your creative endeavours (and pay for your rent, of course). That’s why your career itself should be creative. You shouldn’t settle for a job you hate in an industry which doesn’t inspire you. By pursuing a career in a creative industry, it might lead to better things. If you’re an aspiring writer, then you could intern for a newspaper. If you’re an aspiring actor, then you could search for other jobs at theatres as you keep trying to make your big break. Pursue a creative career if you want to turn your artistic passion into a career too.

Creating a Successful Business from You Art

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The art business is a niche all with its own caveats and nuances. If you’re interested in this type of business, it’s important to know how be successful it its unique arena. The following contributed post is entitled, Creating a Successful Business from You Art.

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To build a business with your art there are three things you need to do. Of course, the most important is to be able to create work that people want, but you also need to be able to market what you have produced and put the whole thing on a proper business footing.

Create Appealing Work

This is the first thing you have to do as without any appealing work you will not make any sales. You need to make work, whether that is painting, sculptures or some other art form that people will be prepared to pay for and then you will have taken the first step.

Research Your Target Audience

Once you know the type of work you are producing you will need to do some research to find the audience that is most likely to buy it. There is no point in marketing to consumers that will not purchase items of art, as that will just be a waste of your time and effort.

There are also other things you need to be aware of such as how big is the potential market you will be aiming to engage with, and what competition are you up against? Information like this can affect your marketing strategy and the time spent on research will be well spent.

You also need to know the best places to show your pieces of work. Would that be in a public exhibition space, a commercial gallery or a studio of your own that consumers can have access to?

You can make it simple for fans of your work to connect with you by using the various social media platforms. Posting images of your work on the like of Facebook and Instagram can create a lot of interest in your products. Joining local art groups can also help to build a circle of fans that will hopefully become future customers.

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Develop A Business Plan

Businesses do not just happen; you have to work at them for success. You should start with a business plan to work out how much finance you will need when you expect sales to start to happen and how much work you need to produce each week to make the business viable.

There are other things to consider too, such as how will you move a piece of art to the address of the purchaser. There are specialist art movers that deal with these matters, but you need to have spoken to them and let them know that you may need their services in the near future.

Having Business You Love

It is really good to be able to turn a passion into a business and if you are prepared to work hard and plan every stage there is no reason why this should not work for you. Creating a successful business from your art is a great idea and one that you should start on now and not just leave it as an idea to be forgotten.