What If Art Is Just as Necessary for Survival as Food and Shelter?
Why do we always turn towards art, even during times of crisis?
“In a world where so much is ugly, beauty is as sustaining as bread.”
— Jordan Peterson
When you see the word “art,” what comes to your mind?
Gorgeous paintings? Cathartic melodies? Awe-inspiring films?
That’s fair, but why don’t we dig a bit deeper: What do those things mean to you? Are they a means of entertainment, or aesthetic expression? Or are they something more? What role does art play in the lives of human beings?
Well, here’s what I think.
Art in the Hierarchy of Needs
When we talk about the necessities of human life, perhaps the most well-known framework is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
Where can art be found in this hierarchy? Usually, it’s thought to belong at the very top, within the category of “self-actualization,” since that category includes “self-expression”…
