Art museums display weird, shocking, pleasing, and beautiful works. The mediums and messages from one piece to the next vary, even among works from the same artist. Viewers are attracted to what is familiar and understandable. Works that speak to a person stay with them. Pieces that the “I just don’t get it” factor is applied to are passed by, usually without another thought. Art has the power to evoke emotions of all kinds. Artists create to share their talent and the messages they want to convey. Patrons have the choice to linger or move past each piece. What categorizes “good art” is entirely subjective. That which pleases one does need to please all.
People are much the same as we are all works of art. Expressing individuality is more prominent now than possibly ever before. Though we are protective of how others see us, many people are pulling back the curtain and presenting themselves to the world in unusual ways. People can cast judgment or choose acceptance for one another. So long as how others show up doesn’t threaten anyone’s safety, then we should be able to say, “I just don’t get it,” and move on. There’s enough negativity in the world. Why add more just because a person chooses to represent themselves in a way that not everyone understands? Each of us is an individual canvas. The choice to decorate our bodies with piercings or tattoos, don clothing of the opposite gender, or color our hair in shades other than natural tones does not affect a person’s quality.
Understood or misunderstood, we all deserve to be seen. Different and eclectic, as people are, makes our reach and relatability to one another that much more valuable. You don’t have to “get it” to be open-minded about other people’s choices.
