Why is art “the right thing?”

 Why is art “the right thing?”

Why is art something so right most of the time that it can thwart evils such as hatred, greed, prejudice, and destruction? 

There might be something intrinsically moral or legally praiseworthy about such a powerful force for good.

What makes art so ethical? It is an ethos of confrontation with the shadows of our society, calling them out into the light.

Art is revelatory, visionary, and it casts creative light into the dark places that those with dark hearts do hope that light would never be seen.

But we need to see it, in every instance, and in every detail, lest we tread in places where shadows eat at our dreams, and won’t be stopped until we let that revelatory light in to stop it.

Art is itself a light that prevails over that which would obscure truth, goodness, and beauty, and what are the finest parts of our humanity, which we come to know through the appreciation of art.

Art has a shadow, and that is fear, frustration, worry, doubt, anxiety, and complexes in some cases.

But those who choose to create art work, do so knowing that they are paying but a small price to speak and show us their views.

And it is a negligible risk for our society, which would generate for itself far worse problems in art’s absence.