BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Life has meaning Life has purpose

**Posted by saturnR** August 18, 2014 2:02 pm

When Life runs out of meaning and you manufacture a purpose, this is called Art.

Why is it that art (fiction, music, painting, etc...) - the most expressive form of human communication is always concieved of and often implemented alone?

Why is it that economists can justify their trade by reminding people of how much money they could make for them & scientists can justify their trade by reminding people of how much of the functioning of our lives depends on their work, but artists cannot justfiy their trade by reminding people of how much fun & joy they bring them?

Somehow artistic and/or cultural endeavours because they are less profitable, are always deemed to be less important?

On the flip side, when someone does make it big in the arts, people usually respond with "oh they were just lucky". Funny how no one ever goes "he was just lucky" when referring to a mechanic or a surgeon...

**Posted by Whisky** August 27, 2014 2:14 am

I'm struggling a bit with language here, but I think I get the general idea of your post.

Hm, because people seem to think that they live just from bread and water and just need housing and furniture and security to be happy, and seem to forget that they are complex human beings with need for culture, beauty and art...?

Don't know, really. I wonder the same.

Maybe because art is something you cannot simply "make work" with loads of effort. You need something else... inspiration maybe? Or just desperation, a need of a vision, ...? (althouth I would argue a mechanic or surgeons needs that, too, even if it's maybe not so open to see)

I think artists have a different impact on society.
How many surgeons or mechanics have a fan-base?
I believe it's just a different way of success, also different range of influence, and a entirely different way of working which not everyone might understand.

I think artists should remind the people what exactly they contribute to society.

I cannot really express what I want to say, so I give up for now.

I wonder what made you post this. What made you upset?

**Posted by besleybean** August 27, 2014 5:49 am

I think talent in the Arts is just that and can also be hard work and stressful.
Sometimes success is luck, in the breaks you get.
But this doesn't mean it's undeserved.
However, I don't consider my fave actors, singers etc...as hereoes, not as much as a surgeon for example.

**Posted by Davina** August 27, 2014 5:34 pm

And yet...when we look back in history, not so very far back either, who is it we remember? Often it is those who are within the creative arts.

**Posted by besleybean** August 27, 2014 6:00 pm

To be fair, they possibly get all the publicity.

**Posted by saturnR** August 28, 2014 3:09 am

Creative arts is a product industry = easier to market; harder to get any attention. Doctors & surgeons work in a service industry = harder to market; easier to get attention. That's why creative arts seem to get all the attention.

If you're a medical specialist & all your patients come from GP referrals, you don't really need to market to general public but artistic works rely on interest from general public so their louder in trying to get attention.

Last edited by saturnR (August 28, 2014 3:12 am)