If you read literature from the last two hundred years, you will find that there has been an ongoing discussion about the importance of art and the meaning of art for decades. Some argue "art for art's sake", while others like to explore other options.

Me? I have decided that art is for OUR sake, and for the universe's sake. Art has the ability to bring order to chaos, light from darkness, beauty from ashes and joy from sorrow.

And guess what?

Art isn't only painting, sculpting and drawing, though those are beautiful and the most well solidified forms of art. And you shouldn't feel terribly if you aren't an "artist", because I believe you are.
Here are some ways I see art and aesthetics in the every day:

art[ärt]
NOUN

1. through the minds of children: they create beautiful simplistic drawings -- something they understand that we do not. (I was conversing with a four year old concerning his drawing, and from what I perceived as scribbles, he told me an entire story)
2. capturing a photo of sunlight spilling through the green spring leaves or barren winter branches
3. having the ability to teach children and inspire them to achieve great things
4. making brilliant arrangements of flowers to liven any room
5. developing an extremely aesthetic instagram feed (shout out to my cousin @kaitlyn_anne__,my boyfriend @calebcarter88 and my talented friend @mawnayyy)
6. basic tumblr pictures of your seemingly perfect life
7. cooking delicious and/or aesthetically appealing foods
8. writing words and creating poetry/novels etc.

9. having a clean and/or aesthetically appealing home
10. having the ability to always tell a good joke and creating laughter from others
11. writing, creating, directing, filming or starring in a video for your Intro to Film class
12. having the ability to change your persona into that of another character in the theatre
13. the ability to straighten, cut, curl, fix or design hair: yours or others'
14. the ability to flawlessly recreate yourself or someone else with makeup
15. the ability to see something you want to wear and have the ability to make it from scratch with a sewing machine
16. making something from nothing
17. being an excellent DIYer
18. being able to turn a room space into a living space with your aesthetic ability
19. being able to dance on the tips of your toes while the Nutcracker plays sweetly in the background
20. being able to pick up the violin, close your eyes and play your favorite piece
21 the ability to get up with a band and rock out to an album
22. the ability to pick out clothing each morning that is aesthetically pleasing to you and is a celebration of your personality
23. seeing a picture that has not yet been created and being able to put it down on paper, through clay, in a photograph, in a film, in a set design, on your face, on an empty music sheet, in a fry pan ...the list goes on
24. THE ABILITY TO HAVE IMAGINATION IN ANY CAPACITY

Readers, friends, compatriots and fellow everyday artists -- every single thing you see around you is somehow a work of art. YOU are a work of art, the homeless man on the street is a work of art, the little girl in ballet class is a work of art, the rebellious teen is a work of art. We are all art and we are all artISTS. That is a beautiful gift we have been given. Art is for OUR sake.

Art is in the everyday, art is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing and mind blowingly, yet simplistically spectacular. Choose to embrace your inner artist today and explore what Louis Armstrong called "a wonderful world" -- yes, full of pain and strife, but also overflowing with art and beauty.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

- Louis Armstrong "What A Wonderful World"