Warum Kunst und Kultur für die Weiterentwicklung des Menschen so eine große Rolle spielen?
Kunst und Kultur sind sehr dynamische Methoden und Normen, die das menschliche Verhalten verändern können. Sie können das Einfühlungsvermögen erhöhen, zum Nachdenken anregen, den Dialog fördern und dazu beitragen, neue Ideen und Beziehungen zu schaffen. Die Kombination kann den Ausdruck von Ideen und positiven Werten fördern. Insgesamt hat sich gezeigt, dass Kunst neue Möglichkeiten eröffnet und eine Brücke zu einer anderen Art des Lebens und der Verbindung schlägt. (Mastandrea et al., 2019) Sie schafft die Voraussetzungen für menschliches Verhalten, da sie Menschen dazu motiviert, positiv miteinander umzugehen. Die Art und Weise, wie Kunst die Motivation des menschlichen Individuums beeinflusst, hängt von den Werten und dem Charakter ab. "Werte prägen die Art und Weise, wie Menschen die Welt sehen und begreifen (Ibrahim, 2022)."
Daher wird der Kunst eine therapeutische Wirkung zugeschrieben, da sie Raum und Zeit bietet, über psychologische Schwächen nachzudenken. In dem berühmten Buch "Kunst ist Therapie" von Alain de Botton beschreibt der Autor die Funktionen der Kunst und führt aus, wie die Kunst den Einzelnen dazu bringt, zu wachsen und sich in seinem Verständnis von sich selbst, von anderen und von der gegenwärtigen Gesellschaft weiterzuentwickeln. (Popowa, 2022)
The 7 Psychological Functions of Art
The first function is dedicated towards memory, as the individual has the chance to focus on a specific essence of a scene rather than the whole of it. This way emotions and deeper thoughts can be highlighted and expressed in form of art, as it provides creative freedom.
The second function that Alain de Botton presents is the fact that art actively spreads hope and could move human being to tears of happiness. A beautiful painting or any other form of art reminds the individual that there is beauty in the world that can be strived for. Experiencing such heart-warming feelings encourages the viewer to hope for the same positivity.
Besides positivity, it provides the viewer with the ability to cope with sadness. The third function presented in the book is sorrow and deals with art providing different “vintage point from which to survey (Botton, 2013)” a more negative situation. This perspective enables the viewers to find a way how to deal with a certain experience. It helps to suffer alone without having to show a dignified face to society.
Rebalancing is the fourth function and is also highlighted as the arts’ most powerful effect for therapeutic application. “Viewing art that depicts situations and feelings outside of what we normally experience daily helps the individual attain balance in their emotions by filling those voids. (Botton, 2013)” This motivates the individual to rethink their emotions and reactions that are driven by a judgemental point of view.
The fifth function is self-understanding. Next to expressing feelings in words, art serves as an alternative method to express and communicate these personal thoughts, providing ground for interpretation.
The prior to last function is growth. This has to do with the reflection process. Whether it is painting a piece of art or solely observing, the individual has time to reflect and empathize with the upcoming situation. Art promotes self-growth.
The last function is appreciation. Humans are driven by daily habits and routines. This tends to affect the individuals, who seem to lose their awareness toward their surroundings. They are so motivated and eager to think of materialistic things they aspire to have that they lose the overview of owned possessions (Ibrahim, 2022). “Art helps us to revisit the value of ordinary things like the pretty colors in a splash of morning light on a tablecloth or the familiar and nostalgic aspects of old beer cans. (Botton, 2013)”
Taking the time to mindfully work with any form of art is of true value to the emotional well-being of the individual.