How can Art Inspire Compassion?
Written by Researcher Sung Jae Han
Seoul, August 2020
Art inspires passion. Art inspires action. Art inspires lives.
Not many people are aware of the influence that art can have on from individuals to social groups. A
piece of art could simply be a random combination of colors and spontaneous movement of brushes
on a white canvas to someone. But for another, the extraordinary moment of experience could
become a turning point in their life. Even the person who fails to become captivated would be inspired
by any other form of art. Then how does art have such a profound effect on people, and what makes
such a difference?
Art: The primitive desire of humans
The question about how people are inspired by art takes us to a journey to 17,000 years ago. The
oldest form of art that has been discovered is the wall painting. The world famous wall painting in
Lascaux cave, France contains various wall paintings that depict images of bulls, birds, humans,
horses, deers, and even rhinoceroses. Among those paintings, the most widely-known painting of the
aurochs attracts the hearts and minds of people all over the world.
Although the painting is drawn by primitive human beings millenniums ago, modern people are able to
appreciate it and understand the value of this work. What this presents to us, is that art has a value
that transcends time, language, border, and age. The answer is clear, humans always crave for new
creations and enjoy expressing what is in the mind. Anyone can imagine and dream of something, but
to materialize it and actually express it on a blank space is something different. In the process of
concretizing the idea, people experience an incomparable emotion of joy and accomplishment. After
witnessing a new world created, people enjoy the satisfaction. This sheer joy of creation is the value
that transcends time. This is why art can trigger such a big difference in people’s minds.
Compassion: The primitive emotion of humans
Mencius, a Chinese Confucian philosopher, takes a famous example to imagine a child drowning in
the water. Seeing the child drowning, people would feel worried and anxious, some would even dive
in to save the child. However, the emotion or action does not occur to ask for monetary rewards or
gain the fame of a courageous man. Such action or emotion is not learned or acquired. It is in the very
instinct of humans to feel anxiety and passion for the child in danger. Compassion is a quality humans
have from the moment of birth.
Considering that art is a means of expression of the primitive desire of humans, art and compassion
are intimate companions. Not only does art start with compassion, but also compassion starts with art.
An interesting study shows how art and compassion works together.
“We All Do Good Things Project was an arts programme in three primary schools in Kent and Halifax
during the 2007/08 academic year. Professional arts practitioners led and coordinated distinct creative
activities in each school including writing stories, making comics, putting on performances, poetry and
music workshops. Through these art forms, children explored the meaning of kindness, shared kind
experiences and developed their own practical actions such as printing a kindness newspaper for the
local community, making smoothies for the local emergency services and creating radio programmes
for other schools.”
So basically, this project contained art workshops where children would stay focused on celebrating,
sharing, and encouraging. After the workshops, the University of Kent supported the completion of
questionnaires among pupils before the project, immediately after the project and one year after the
project. The questionnaires were answered by 169 pupils in years 1,3, and 5. Surprisingly, children
who took part in the project showed a significant increase in their willingness to help, share with and
care for others, even though it had been a year after the project had finished. Also, children learned
ways to represent sincerity and kindness through arts in deeper and more meaningful expressions.
https://www.culturehive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Changing-the-World-through-Arts-and-
Kindness.pdf
Researchers found that most children enjoyed participating in the project afterall. Most importantly,
when asked about what they had learned through the workshop, the answers focused on creative
skills, teamwork, struggling and overcoming challenges, and mastering goals rather than the concept
of kindness itself. Children had learned how to represent their sincerity and kindness in ways that
were meaningful and developed greater depth over the course of the year. In the end, these art
workshops or children did have an effect on how children view the community and on the means of
expressing their kindness.
Conclusion
Art can come in various forms. They could be paintings, sculptures, statues, pictures, buildings, and
so on. The forms are limitless, and they affect our lives in numerous ways. Many people look up to
these various forms of art to gain inspiration and motivation. The free sliding of the paintbrush, the
flavorful mix of colors, and the delicate touch of the creative artist makes art such a wonderful tool to
express one’s compassion. There is no limit to how the artist’s compassion can be delivered to the
audience. But the value of the masterpiece heavily depends on the viewer’s capacity to reinterpret
and absorb the true meaning. Once he can feel art with his heart, he is ready to inspire others.