the unabridged reader

In the current state of the world, combined with our attachment to social media, not a day will pass by without coming across at least one upsetting piece of news article on the internet. Most times, it makes me want to close my eyes and turn away- forget that I am even a part of a race so violent, negative and vindictive.

But every time I find myself facing an artwork; a painting, a lyric, a tune, a poem, a drawing; and every time I read the artists’ explanation behind their masterpieces, something stirs. It makes me realize that we all came from one root. Before our race, before our religion, before our families, we are all human.

We breathe, we feel, we love, we hurt. We were all once children, encompassed by innocence and purity. It was a time when we say what we mean, and are honest with what we desire. Art takes me back to that beautiful time.

Art expresses depth that our adult minds bid us to hide, that culture demands us to revoke, and religion tells us is wrong.

Deep inside we are all just screaming to be appreciated. We are beings created to communicate and communicate we did. Somewhere along the way, we just forgot that communication also meant we are to listen. So the next time you see an artwork, listen and don’t just hear. Look and not just see. Then, you’ll realize that art is living. It is a story that has a beginning, a middle, and sometimes an end. It is a story of a person like you.

Then, maybe the next time you meet an old acquaintance, you will be kinder, gentler. Next time you read or hear an opinion, you will pause and think what might have caused them to think that way. Next time you speak, you will reconsider whether your words will do more harm than good.

Art is beautiful, because it makes humans seem more… humane.