The Art of Discovery: Allegory About the Stream

The solutions we have to find in this world are often accomplished with math or science processes. A cure for cancer is found through laboratory experiments. Wondering how far our universe expands is theorized through a series of mathematical equations. Yet, I would venture to say that none of those things would even be imaginable without the benefits of art.

Artistic expression opens up new avenues of communication. From abstract to concrete, artistic expression is what we need in order to get our thoughts out of our minds. When communicating with words can’t accomplish the task, we begin to speak to other people through a series of gestures, icons and symbols. Does that sound familiar?

The question we may be asking others or even asking ourselves is what does this mean? Looking at a canvas, the artist might be as confused as anyone else. What does this mean to you because I can’t get anything out of it? In that instant, we become a network, a community of people trying to solve a problem. Basically, what is going on in the artist’s mind is the problem we have to solve.

But, it goes much deeper than that. Let’s hypothesize for a second that a mechanic who is working on a new way to make a car run completely from water and magnets feels like he is basically pushing a rock up a hill that will never reach the top. He may have been working on this problem for years. One day, he walks out onto his porch and notices the stream at the edge of his yard. It’s time to take a break from his mechanical problem and explore a little rest and relaxation with canvas and a paint brush.

Sparking the imagination, the mechanic has now become the artist who is tapping into a totally different side of his cognitive abilities. While he watches the running water and he continues to work on his painting, his mind is being utilized in a creative way. Instead of running through the same mathematical equations and coming up with the same answers over and over, this artist’s mind is now exploring realms of his brain that have not yet been engaged to solve his problem.

But, that’s exactly it. The entire brain is needed to solve some of our more complex problems. We can utilize the mathematical and the scientific, but only for so long. Even Einstein needed inspiration from the simple whirlpool made in his cup of tea. Our imaginations spawn creations. Math and science do the rest. This is main problem we face in this world!

When grants are approved for mathematicians and scientists to solve the world’s problems, I think it’s a great thing. But, I wonder when we will truly get it. I wonder when we will be more willing to approve grants for the studies of art and its many benefits.

You will find that art sparks the imagination and creativity to solve most of our problems. You will also find that art sparks personal growth. It is my hypothesis that art benefits us in ways we have yet to even understand. That’s the true nature of art. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it.