Art & Will
I own many painting tools—sketches, watercolors, poster colors, markers, papers. But I’ve only completed around seven guided paintings. I like a few of them. Some are average.
Yet every time I take the file out of my cupboard—usually while cleaning—I end up spending thirty minutes just looking at them. Reviewing them. Sitting with them. I genuinely enjoy that time.
At the same time, I feel a quiet guilt: I should have created more.
Something similar happens with Instagram stories.
I rarely post, and when I do, it’s usually during moments when I crave external validation—something I consciously resist, yet still fall into. Creating a story takes effort. It consumes attention. I try to make it “good.”
Once I post it, I end up watching it again and again—twenty or thirty times in a day. Not only to check views or likes (though I do that too), but to simply watch it. On loop. I enjoy it.
There may be better stories on Instagram. But I enjoy mine more—because it is mine.
This pattern repeats across other forms of art. I once painted a beer bottle. Every time I look at it, I catch myself thinking: Did I really make this?
I never questioned this feeling deeply until I encountered the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer.
Schopenhauer spoke about the concept of the Will—a blind, endless force that drives desire, suffering, and restlessness. According to him, art allows us a temporary escape from this Will. In moments of aesthetic experience, we are no longer craving or wanting—we are simply observing.
Over time, I realized something personal: Whenever I was involved in art—whether creating it or consuming it—I felt calmer, more complete, and strangely fulfilled. Life felt quieter. More meaningful.
Recently, I watched a talk that said: “The world is on fire, and art is the extinguisher.” That idea stayed with me.
I now see art in two ways.
Consuming art offers escape—from desire, pressure, and constant wanting. Creating art does something deeper. It gives meaning to the creator. And once created, it becomes an escape for others who are quietly craving relief.
Maybe that’s why I enjoy looking at my art more than making it. Maybe creation doesn’t need to be constant to be meaningful.
Some art exists simply to remind us that we once stepped outside the noise—and felt whole.
In the above context I really like this artist sayings, “My other passion is showing you that YOU TOO CAN CREATE!” Isn’t that very powerfull lines ? I liked it a lot.
Rough Draft Below I have all sort of painting tools — sketches, water colors, poster colors, papers, markers etc,. But I painted only around 7 guided paintings only. I like some of em but few are avergae too. But whenever I take the file out of my cupboard for cleaning things, I spent 30 minutes looking at my art and reviewing it myself. And I enjoy the time looking at it,. I always get guilt for not having more paitings in my cupboard.
I rarely post stories in instagram in desperation of some external validation, Im against it.. But i still do it when I crave for it. And I will be carefull that story creation invoves much of my brain to produce some good output. Once I posted the story, I look it more than 20-30 times in 24h. Not to see how many likes and views, (emmm sry i do open it for view likes and views), But the crucial things is also I watch the entire story again in looped mode,. I really enjoy. May be a story better than that is on instagram. But I enjoy mine because it is mine,.
Like the above arts, I do have some of few other arts, I’ve painted a beer bottle and I like it. When I see it I wonder “is that created by me”. I never researched this thought process on ART’s until I see the philosophy of
Gemman Philosopher: Arthur Schopenhauer
He said, I cant recollect his exact saying but the thing is
In this world we are driven by a force calle “Will”, And we can escape it. In the escape process is art is a tool.
I’ve invloved in various ART process and later i realised there is where I felt the life meaningfull, complete and I really enjoyed it.
And today, I watched a TED talk in context of art which says “World is in Fire, Art is extinguisger for it” And I felt really convinced for it.
I see art in two perspective, consuming creates escape from the “Will”, Creating is more than that, It give meaning to self for one creates as well as the created art serves as escape many craving souls in this world.