Benefits of Arts

Arts, whether creating it or viewing, can be advantageous in everything we do. Some of us have the art of listening, the art of teaching, the art of helping, the art of communicating, the art of writing, of composing music and even the art of healing. Some people might have regarded art as a luxury where one can live without. While we all love to decorate our homes, dress up and match colors, enjoy listening to a beautiful piece of music, read moving poem or enjoy viewing beautiful paintings and feel refreshed. Obviously, art has an impact on all of us one way or the other, whether we are artists or appreciative of art.

It has been proven that learning or practicing art from childhood, has its importance in one’s life. Art enriches the imagination, visual ability, multiply brain cells, widens thinking ability, encourages self-expression, self-esteem, improve deicisons-making and problems solving. These abilities have been proven in a report by Americans for the Arts education that it strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. If they are exploring, thinking, experimenting and trying new ideas, then creativity has a chance to blossom, says MaryAnn Kohl, who is an arts educator and author of several books about children’s art education.

Learning and creating art from early age also, improves the Academic performance as many studies confirmed that there was a connection between art and other achievement in one’s life. A report by Americans for the Arts states that young people who participate regularly, in the arts three hours a day and three days each week, in one full year, are four times more likely, to be recognized for academic achievement, able to participate in a math and science fair or to win an award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate.

Elliot Eisner, a professor of education at Stanford University, shares a deeper understanding of the importance of arts in a child’s life, states; Art teaches children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer. The arts celebrate multiple perspectives.

Creative thinking and reasoning ability have been acknowledged and highlighted as vital twenty-first-century skills by numerous business, education, community and government leaders. To be successful in a demanding career requires great amount of focus and concentration. Learning art from childhood or creating art contributes to gaining such ability. In addition to the benefits of art, there is also health and emotional improvements were noted. There are more than 100 studies about the impact of art on our health and our ability to heal faster than those who do not practice or enjoy art. It has proven that art reduces stress and anxiety and increases positive emotions. It also, improves the flow of responses and spontaneity, expression of sorrow, positive identity, social networks, and reduces adverse of physiological and psychological outcomes, the extent to which these interventions enhance health status.

On a personal level, art has taught me that there is always light somewhere, even when matters may seem dark. Through painting, I've learned that what we see, for the first time, is not always or exactly what we initially perceived to be there. Having a second and a third look at subjects or matters can reveal more depth, value and beauty to what we thought was there the first time. It would also add some light of details as to how one can make right decisions and choices.

In my paintings, I focus on the importance of light along with the shadows that complement its beautiful counterpart. By using different subtle tones and applying many fine layers to create depth and soft contrast, I emphasize perspective and composition. Realizing this fact is what has led me to extend on the realism style.

Having gained experiences from travelling to different countries, where I've learned about different cultures and have seen great verity of artwork has enabled me to widen out on my perspective of life and become easily, intimate with the qualities of our natural world and the people, it nourishes. In addition, I feel close with all kind of people and find that there is an infinite room for growth and progress in my thinking ability and in my artwork and this will inspire me to go on reaching new levels of depth, beauty and diversity in the realism oil paintings. This room of improvement is open to all of us should we desire to improve on whatever we have chosen to do as long as we do soulfully and passionately.

Good health to all and enjoyable life. Your comments and inputs are welcomed and thank for the visit.

©Mona Youssef

Art strokes/simplicity/complexity, how are related?

Art strokes, simplicity and complexity? In the simple three letters of word "Art" there is so much to say, explain, feel, view, enjoy, criticize, interpret and evaluate.

A stroke starts with one point, when multiplying it, can create one line (short or long, straight, curved, horizontal or vertical), a circle or any other shape until the final and the amazing composition comes up.

A stroke can be one word, multiplying it, can build an interesting long dialogue in different subjects.

A stroke can be an Initial feeling, when multiplying it, can form a strong love story. A stroke can be an idea, multiplying it, can leads to a multi-million dollars’ project.

A stroke can be a thought, when dwelling on it, will carries many successful or disastrous results.

A stroke can be one cell, when multiplying it, can create the whole marvelous human body with all its complexity.

Back to artistic strokes, can the last stroke cancel the previous ones or will it add more depth, value, meaning and feelings to it! Can we see that complexity starts with simplicity and end with complexity? Can one be complete without the other! The beauty is to create from simplicity a complex object yet, still looks simple but powerful!

Creation was built from one invisible cell, when multiplied, formed the marvelous and beautiful universe. The more we learn about it, the more we realize and appreciate its complexity. With the same thought, the more we observe the surroundings, the more beautiful, enhanced and rich our brush strokes will become. Enjoy your creativity.

©Mona Youssef, Realism fine artist

Artists in the Art Market!

This article is intended to address several problems that some of you may have faced or might face in the future. It is about entering business over the internet with unknown or deceitful agents/representatives. The purpose of this article is to support fellow artists and open their eyes on the real Art world. Having the talent to create artwork is very special ability artists possess. Therefore, Artists are entitled to celebrate, not only the joy that comes throughout the experience of process each piece of art, but also the joy that results of their hard work.

Some art organizers have been collecting fees for exhibitions, then cancel or change the date and month of the exhibitions where artists can’t participate and lose the fees they paid! Such organizers are becoming professional in manipulating artists with sweet words and empty promises and can play well, the roles of con-artists.

I was contacted by some artists who shared their stories with me and I believe them as it happened to me unfortunately. As a curator and a gallerist, I take the responsibility to refund artists immediately, should art organizer cancel an exhibition as the case happened in ArtIbiza 2015. Since then, I have been even extra careful with offers I receive from art organizers. I do screen the offers very well before accepting them and before inviting or selecting artists. With the same thought, I would like to encourage you to screen carefully any offer and read carefully the agreements you receive before signing. Share your stories with your fellow artists and make it known for it is one of the tools to stop those fraudsters.

Artists face many difficulties to make living of their artwork.  Since artists are self-employed; they need to provide all necessities of life; roof over their heads, studio expenses, rent, art supplies, insurance, professional membership fee, exhibitions' fee, travel or shipping expenses. Noting that Artists have no paid vacation, nor sick days, neither dental coverage nor maternity leave, gladly Male artists are excluded. In addition, Artists always contribute their artwork to charities and fund-raising organizations.

While artists are good givers, passionate and believe in people easily, they get deceived easily as well. Not that they lack intelligence, but because they are in general, spiritual, loving and kind people. This fact is hurtful to me seeing them suffer from such situation happening repeatedly! 

As it has been brought to my attention that more many Artists have become victims of scammers, I am sharing this information as I do care. Those people pretend to offer desirable contracts and promise unbeaten business to Artists, while they have no means to follow through. Although, fraudsters have no verification of their business, nevertheless, have the cleaver and sweet methods of collecting Artists' treasures and money with no defined promises. The sad part is that Artists have nowhere to go to or to whom can report their cases! Who can protect Artists from such internet behaviors and who can help!

The only law Artists have is the copyright law. Even with that, we all are familiar with the Chinese proverbs" We copy right, we do not copy wrong" I do hope that someday we can have a worldwide "Artists union" free of charge! This organization would take care of such cases as described above! Artists have big roles to play in every society and over the centuries. They bring beauty to the world, record history, create valuable treasure to leave behind, build characters to their countries as well cultures. Yes, through their artwork, they unify the world to speak one language and to bring together.

From my personal experience, please do not sign any agreement until you read it carefully and make sure that you can be refunded in case of cancellation. Other tips; keep all messages from organizer, do not reply to the message but write your reply in a new message. Contact other participants and get their feedback of what they think. Make your research about the organizers and check their reputations. Ask all your questions if not covered in the offer and if organizer is not willing to reply to your concerns and to your satisfaction, please give attention to this sign!

*For further professional information regarding Global Anti-Fraud to learn how you can protect yourself, please read more on: Global Anti-fraud http://www.sid.in-berlin.de/nedkelly-world

Please be safe and feel free to contact me should you have any concern and I hope will be able to help.

©Mona Youssef - Realist international fine artist

Artists are blessed with their talents

One may wonder why there are so many love stories and love songs! Could it be a sign of cry out for love because the lack of its existence? No denial that love is the source of our existence and contributes tremendously in our well being; not only emotionally, but also physically and mentally. Everything around us was created with profound love, ingenious thoughts, puzzling creativity and immense passion. It is only by love we can perform our best. Unfortunately, it is not the case with the way scarcities are operating nowadays! We find that having a secular job is a must to meet the desperate needs, obligations and duties, while the choice of doing what we truly love is very slim!

Starving for love is the history of human's problem. Mankind is famished not only to be loved but also to love and emerge in what would not take them to disappointments. Why a baby does cry when he is well fed, very clean and has enough sleep? Physiologists found out that babies are born with starvation for love and for human touches. For that reason, when parents hold or touch their babies, they become at peace, feel loved, secure and keep quiet.

It is the case when we fall in love or out of it. When we are in love, the brain releases a chemical called phenylethlamine which acts like the prescription drug amphetamine to increase mental alertness and physical energy. When the feeling of love is crashed, our brains are faced with sudden loss of phenylethlamine. Consequently, "The crash that follows a breakup is much like withdrawal" says Dr. Michael Liebowitz of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He noted that people who break up often crave chocolate which is high in phenylethylamine. Apparently, chocolate can keep us from crying, at least for a while, until next serving!

Do artists starve for true love and only find it in painting, composing music or writing etc.? I wonder if artists get their phenylethylamine increased by loving what they do! Probably, by practicing their art activities, they would find satisfaction, peace and can avoid frustration in relationships! Thus, can we say that artists are blessed with their imaginations and artistic talents? But why then, having art career is a hard path “Love without work is dead as the body without soul is dead" Then, where the idea that having a job/career is a hard chore came from and when the anchor has begun! Could it be that the history of slavery is behind the scene? Is it because we work to make living and forget that we were created to enjoy working? Even artists of old had been treated, by their maters, as slaves, locked in until they finish their mater pieces /work that took sometimes months or even years. Is it the unmerited societies and generations who are imposing, pressing, demanding and demeaning workers behind the weak desire to work with love and passion?

Wouldn't be so wonderful if we could work, enjoy what we choose to do, be productive and serve others yet, still meet our needs free from financial worries!? In general, financial worries and meeting certain obligations take away the joy of working and is behind the lack of loving what we do. They make the difference between reality and love, work and joy! Sadly, to mention, that some artists, of whom I am aware, have quieted their artistic careers to make living. Was this lack of love for art or lack of materials needs!

In painting, artists find their faithful, meaningful and loving world. As musicians compose and play, writers think and write and artists feel and should paint!

Realizing the abilities of one's self is a step toward expanding one's demonstration of love.

©Mona Youssef - Fine Artist

Art and Food, how are related.

Art and food are very much related and one sometime, can replace the other. The fact is that when an artist creates a piece of artwork, compose music or listen to it, write or even dance; experiences feelings of pleasure which normally are triggered in the brain by certain food. These activities stimulate the brain and produce the needed amount of Dopamine and Serotonin for the well-being.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that serves as the chemical messenger in the nervous system and permits individual nerve fibers (neurons) to communicate with each other. Neurotransmitter is a chemical that is released from a nerve cell which thereby transmits an impulse from a nerve cell to another nerve, muscle, organ or other tissue. The dopamine neurotransmitter belongs to the class of compounds known as monoamines particularly to a subclass of chemicals called catecholamine. Dopamine acts either as an inhibitory mechanism or as an excitatory mechanism in the nervous system. This process depends on the location of dopamine neurons.

Serotonin is as important as Dopamine, why? It promotes and improves sleep, self-esteem, relieves depression, diminishes, cravings, prevents agitated depression and worrying. The serotoninergic system is known to modulate mood, emotion, sleep and appetite and thus is implicated in the control of numerous behavioral and physiological functions.

When we have enough Dopamine and Serotonin, we experience the following:

• Feelings of / contentment/enjoyment/pleasure

• Feelings of affection/attachment/ intimacy/love

• Sense of philanthropy (unselfish concern and feeling compassion for the welfare of others)

• Assimilation of thoughts and feelings

From experience, we notice the above when seeing genuine artists are happy upon creating artwork, have self-esteem, in a good mood, excited, energetic, calling for peace, caring for others, attached easily to others, sharing their love and passion, regardless of they do not make enough living from their artwork!

When we have deficiencies of both Dopamine and Serotonin, we experience the following:

• Anhedonia (lack of pleasure, enjoyment or satisfaction)

• Lack of ability to have the feel of love or sense of attachment with others.

• Lack of remorse about actions.

• Distractability in different ways.

How about the time when artists are not painting or what about most people who are not artists? How can they manage the balance of their moods and the common human feelings? Our brains need good amount of Dopamine and Serotonin which are found in Apples, Bananas, Beets, Chicken, eggs, Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Almonds, Chocolate, Fish and Strawberries.

From personal experience, I can sit straight for 13 hours painting and forget that I did not have a meal but only some juice or healthy snakes while still feeling full, energetic, content and happy. Not that I am a starving artist as still love and enjoy good food specially seafood and delicious desserts with chocolate or Amaretto! Who would like to join me! Stay healthy and happy.

© Mona Youssef - Realist fine artist

Art, Artists and Psychology.

A study discussing questions; Why artists need to create art? Is art a product of the signals we receive or interpret? Psychologists have endeavored to observe and study the brain of artists.

While the majority agrees that art is about the expressions of beauty, others see it as merely self-expressions of the surroundings regardless of seeing beauty or the absence of it! Many believe that art is closely connected with culture; where there is culture there is art! How can we explain a child who passionately draws and paints? What could a child know about culture in a very early age!?

Number of psychologists tried to observe and study the brain of artists. Apparently, the subject has been of serious concern and got their attention. Rudolf Arnheim, believes that the only access to reality we have is through our senses. He also argues that perception is strongly identified with thinking, and that artistic expression is another way of reasoning. In “The Power of the Center”, a study of Composition in the Visual Arts (1982), Arnheim addressed the interaction of art and architecture on concentric and grid spatial patterns. He believes that form and content are inseparable, and that the patterns created by artists reveal the nature of human experience.

Wolfgang Metzger's main argument, drawn from Gestalt theory, is that the objects we perceive in visual experience are not the objects themselves but perceptual effigies of those objects constructed by our brain according to natural rules. Gestalt concepts are currently being increasingly integrated into mainstream neuroscience by researchers proposing network processing beyond the classical receptive field. Interpret

Edward W.L. Smith, Ph.D.  wrote a book with the title” The Psychology of Artists and the Arts”. This book offers the first comprehensive examination of the psychodynamic theories of artistic creativity and the arts. Neither oversimplifying the complexity of these theories, nor bogging down in pedantic discourse, it honors the depth and richness of the work of Freud, Adler, Kris, Reich, Jung, and several lesser-known theorists, while making their theories readily accessible to the educated reader. After discussing the role of theory, the work offers each concept as a readily usable template for describing and understanding a work of art, whether painting, sculpture, music, dance, film, poetry, or prose. With these theories at hand, anyone interested in the arts will possess a far richer vocabulary for describing the artistic experience and a deeper understanding of the artist's creativity.

Many of today's researchers may find themselves pondering the intriguing question of what effect Metzger's theories might have had on vision research of “Laws of Seeing” and “Laws of perception”. There are numbers of branches within psychology that are strictly devoted to understanding the human mind and behavior through rigorous scientific experimentation.

Since psychologists are/were not necessarily artists, can they understand artists? Is psychology an art? The brief answer is “yes.” Can an artist become a psychologist or a psychologists become an artist? Interestingly, to know that a student with a Bachelor of Arts can gain entry to a Masters or PhD/PsyD in Clinical or Counselling Psychology if they have enough Psychology credits. After completing PhD/PsyD, one could then complete license exams and supervised hours to become a Licensed or Chartered Psychologist.

Whether psychologists agree or disagree on the questions; Why one become an artist, do artists need to paint or what is the psychology of an artist, in many cases, each of us can asks himself/herself to learn even more.

In my humble opening, there are two causes/sources behind each artist!  Nature and personal experience! No denial that nature is the mother of inspiration to all who are drawn into it and meditate. Young and old have same capacity of observing nature and naturally get affected by it. Regardless of ages, our means of expressions are products of the surroundings, atmospheres, personal circumstances, upbringings, motives and our heritage makeup! Accordingly, we express ourselves in various ways whether paintings, composing music, writing, designing, planning, managing, calculating, discovering, structuring or leading etc.

As long as the motive is fed well, passion will follow and flow and artwork is shaped to reveal itself. When nature and emotion are combined, create unique pieces of art/work. Colours were created for our visual stimulus with the inner emotional state and artists are the most recipients of this.

This profound attraction is transformed into a desire and sends signals to the brain creating new impulses in the observer mainly artists. How we react to those signals? Each of us is different and gladly it is so, for we need diversity in our world to complete each other and enjoy living. 

©Mona Youssef