What Art Means to Youth; More Than an Art Piece

Art is more than just simply a hobby for some. For most youth, art is a form of expression; the art form and media an individual chooses to pursue is merely the beginning. At the same time, art can help today’s youth cope in more ways than what is known today.

Written by: Prithika Vishnubala

Most commonly, art is perceived to be only the creative work of individuals, a passion. However, the way art is seen is in the eyes of its beholder. When it comes to youth, for many, art is a significant part of their lives. Today, it is known to be a form of expression, whether that be to help youth discover themselves or cope with the difficulties in their lives.

Description: Multiple youth students sketching in a class.

Simply, art provides youth with the freedom to discover themselves. From the different art forms and media available, the mere method a teen chooses as their art form is an expression of themselves. For instance, pastels are a rather direct and “free” medium, being able to use your fingers and hands to blend. The pastel medium is known to be a lot more intimate between the artist and the piece of art. At the same time, pastels create luminous but bright pieces with a softer essence than to others. In contrast, with conventional painting, a brush and palette are needed to create an art piece, which creates a completely different effect for the painting itself and the artist. Not only does the brush used help create an effortless texture, difficult to achieve with pastels, but it also creates fine and distinct lines. Olivia Li, a design executive at Together With Art, described her journey with art similarly through different mediums, “For me, art…started off as a passion for drawing and music, but as I got more involved with youth organizations like TWA, I developed a deep interest for graphic design”.

Description: Person painting with a brush on a canvas.

Apart from being a form of discovery, art can help youth cope with the good and the bad in their lives. Simply, the process of creating art allows youth to take a step back from their life and acknowledge the feelings they are facing, even subconsciously. By creating visual art, teens are given the platform to express difficult emotions without the need to talk to others in words. Specifically, the bare action of focusing on creating a piece of art and experiencing the colours at use is a form of emotional release. According to a study by the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, the creation of art triggers dopamine release in the brain. As a result, this helps the artist feel more content and happy at the time. However, the effects of art on youth are not limited only to visual art but all art forms as well, even music. In this century, music is more widespread amongst youth than any other. Now, youth commonly listen to music associated with the emotion they are feeling; to help them understand and face their feelings. For example, sombre and slower music is used to alleviate feelings of sadness, whereas upbeat music is used to elevate feelings of happiness. Therefore, regardless of the art form, it is significantly beneficial for youth to recognize and describe their emotions.

Description: Multiple paint brushes resting on a paint filled platform.

For today’s generation, art is more than something to observe in galleries or on television. It allows these youth to process their emotions and express themselves in a healthy, challenging way.