To some, art is simply a hobby, but to senior, painter, and AP studio art student Bailey Flinn, “art is a way to express the world to people in ways they could or would not see it. Art is capable of expressing ideas, emotions, and different views of the mundane world.”
Flinn sees art as a necessity; a way to release and communicate emotion: “A huge number of depressed artists created great art because they felt so much, and that ability to express themselves made them love art. I don’t think people have to start with a love of art to make art. All you have to start with is a need to lessen stress.”
Though many artists are considered perfectionists, Flinn has her own opinion about the practice of perfectionism in art. She said, “I think perfectionism has to evolve. You should strive to create something perfectly beautiful, disturbing, etc., but you are never going to perfectly capture the idea you started with. The main thing I have learned is that you have to know when to stop. Perfectionism can both hurt and help your piece of art.”
Flinn also emphasized the importance of connecting her art to the real world: “It is impossible to make meaningful art without outside influence. ‘Stopping power,’ or the power to make someone take more than thirty seconds to look at your piece of art, can only express ideas or provoke emotions through being on common ground with people. If there is no connection to real life, people will not be able to connect to it. Art with roots in reality is more significant.”