The Art of Happiness (his)

Those who know us or have been in our home know that Virginia and I are passionate about art.  We aren’t art collectors but we do have some pieces we absolutely love and in the case of a house fire the order would be children, art and then family photos.

This shared passion seemed especially real last weekend as Virginia visited her sister, a sculptor, who opened a permanent sculptor garden out West on Saturday.  While Virginia flew to her sister’s opening Thursday night, my son and I attended the opening of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s special exhibit Impressionism:  Masterworks on Paper.  Then Friday night  Virginia toured the home of an elderly couple who have over 400 pieces of art including multiple Picasso’s, Rembrandts and many other famous artists.  As we shared our experiences Saturday night on the phone it became clear, we are art geeks.

The question I thought about this morning was why good art creates so many positive emotions in me.  I didn’t grow up with this art appreciation but it has definitely grown over the last decade.  So why does good art make me happy?

I love good art because it inspires me on many levels.

On the most obvious level good art reaches into me and triggers deep emotions that go beyond words and explanation.  When asked what I love about my favorite pieces I can give general answers but I am not gifted enough with words to explain their impact.  When that happens I know I’m experiencing good art.

I’m also inspired by the artists who have the vision, dedication and talent to produce such art.  Those who pursue the creation of good art typically spend years, sometimes lifetimes, in obscurity pursuing what they believe in despite the hardships.  That’s true courage and always an inspiration to my own pursuits.  And that’s where good art crosses over to more than what I’m viewing.  Art at that level becomes the model for what I believe all of us are here to achieve.

Art is the goal for all of us in whatever we do.  Art is not limited to what we can hang, sculpt or sell at auction.  In fact the best art has no price.  Art is when what we do breaks free from the confines of the techniques we’ve been taught and becomes something more, something we cannot articulate, but something that inspires others.  I know teachers, parents, athletes, business owners, landscapers, sales clerks, baristas and many others who are artists because they are passionate about what they do, they do it well over time and that inspires me.

Happiness is a craft that, if practiced properly and long enough, can become art.  I know people who practice happiness as an art.  They have figured out the basic principles of happiness and they have dedicated themselves to practicing those principles over and over again until their practice becomes art.  That doesn’t mean they’re always ecstatic or that they have no problems.  But rather, they approach life with a sound understanding of what it takes to be truly happy and they pursue it in a way that’s inspiring.

I’m hopeful Hapacus will encourage more of these types of artists in the world.