Culture and creativity are integral parts of our lives as human beings. We all creatively express our culture in unique ways. Some of us speak through poetry, others through music. Some of us express ourselves in dance and others through cooking. The way we express and experience our culture helps make us who we are.

My father, a painter and sculptor, exposed me to creative works from a very early age. Throughout my childhood I was surrounded by his art and his appreciation of others art. The walls in our home are covered with his wild, vibrantly colorful, fantasy paintings. In every corner there is some strange sculpture of a wacky bird or a beaded dragon. As children my sisters and I thought nothing of incorporating these fantastic creatures, that others were willing to pay good money to set aside somewhere out of reach, into our imaginary play lives. For example, there is one sculpture that still stands in my youngest sister's playroom of an surreal looking man standing behind a counter. Throughout the years, and five children, this sculpture has served as a cashier in hundreds of games of "store," Mrs. Ironfield the secretary at our elementary school, a judge, a priest, a tea party guest, a librarian, a doctor, a book case and more. This sculpture is proof that the meaning of a work of art is multi-dimensional and unique for each viewer. What many see as a creative piece of artwork, we saw as a toy.

During my childhood artwork was treated as a part of our everyday lives. It was something to interact with and experience, not view from a removed, impersonal standpoint. I was constantly encouraged to appreciate it and take part in it. Most fathers take their children on weekend outings to baseball games or the movies. My father loved to take us to the RISD art museum or outside art shows in Newport. When he was working in his studio he would sometimes let us play there around him while he worked, showing us how he could change a piece of driftwood he found into a crazy little monster. Whenever we went to the beach people would gather around the paintings he made of puffy clouds and green dragons surging from wild waves in the water. I never found any of this odd or unique as a child, I thought everyone was exposed to art in the same manner as I.

Visual art allows for expression of one's self in a way that words are incapable of. In looking at a painting the artist's bare, raw emotions are thrown out on the page all at once. My father for example is quite inept at expressing his feelings through words, but give him a canvas and paints and he is one of the most emotionally expressive men I know. A greater range of interpretation is allowed for, a painting or a sculpture or a photograph is much less cut and dry than a sentence. Each viewer of the piece can take away a different meaning.

The culture of an artist obviously has a great impact on their work. War, violence, religion, racism, power and peace are all common themes in works of visual art. The turmoil of a nation has often been most powerfully expressed through visual art. Art is also often used to call attention to important issues in society. Scenes of racial disharmony have prompted many to act. Photographs of tragedy throughout the world have caused many to take notice of events otherwise looked over. Visual proof right in front of your eyes is hard to deny.

Visual art continues to be an important component of my life. I always enjoy viewing others work, as well as creating my own. Painting and drawing are outlets for me when life get to be too much. The physical process of creating alone has a great calming effect on me. Creating a painting or drawing that tells the story of something I am experiencing helps me to express what I cannot find the words for, organizing my thoughts so that they are clearer. As a psychology major I am greatly concerned with the way that the mind processes information and how it copes with situations that are beyond its level of tolerance. I believe that the visual arts offer an amazing therapeutic outlet for that which is too much for the mind to handle.

Our American culture is so very rich with creativity and unique art forms. Humans have expressed themselves through visual art since the days of cave paintings. It is important that such art forms be continuously supported so that all can benefit from them. I hope that from this short essay you have gained a greater understanding of the visual arts and impact that they have upon us as a culture.

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