What is art?

Thanksgiving has hit and we’ve all gone CRAZY. Individuals devoured upon pounds of turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie per individual were devoured last week in one of America’s most traditional holidays. That great American weight scale climbed in the numbers last week as we celebrators became extravagant patrons of the culinary arts.\nAnd that’s not all we went all out for. The following morning, the frighteningly consumerist tradition of Black Friday began as early as midnight. in some areas. Having slept in, I missed the action, but I can surely visualize the stunning displays set in the fronts of stores, the crystal clear Blu-ray movies streaming from 72-inch plasma screen TVs to attract customers and the new creative Christmas fashions finally released to the eager public.\nMost commonly following this carnal tradition is the installment in and on homes of Christmas decor. Trees go up, lights go round and multi-colored ornaments and trinkets (like the star you made out of clay with your pre-school picture in the middle) adorn almost every square inch of your living space. I personally prefer those gaudy, blue-red-green-yellow-purple bulbs circa 1974 and giant inflatable Santa Clauses dominating the yard.\nBut why all the insane fuss that never occurs any other time of the year? To put it plainly, winter sucks. You’re cold all the time, there’s good sunlight roughly four hours a day and you have to shovel snow. For adults who don’t fit so well into their snowsuits, decking the halls is like building snow forts. Art is our only refuge from inclement weather.\nAs the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and in dire need, we turn to self-inventiveness to get us through. It was during a time of poor mental and physical health that artist Francisco Goya therapeutically painted his famous Black paintings on the wall of his “Quinta del Sordo” (House of the Deaf Man). Realism would not exist if Henrik Ibsen had not been frustrated with the Victorian era. And therapist and writer Viktor Frankl wrote his thesis on logotherapy, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” mostly during his imprisonment at the Auschwitz concentration camp.\nNow, winter is not so extreme as these situations, but there certainly is a reason to improve your physical environment during those cold months ahead. Maybe this year you could make your own ornaments by buying a thin paintbrush or two and acrylic paint to go along with your glass bulbs. You could even go so far as resorting to the old popcorn and dried cranberry threading parties as a fun, creative and energy-conserving alternative to electric Christmas lights. Always remember, when the weather outside is frightful, your inner-artist is waiting to be revealed.