The creation of art is a familiar entity that I’ve experimented with throughout my life by taking art classes and doodling while undergoing hours of boring lessons. In doing so, I began to grasp the abstract and often self-contradictory ideas within this symbol of our humanity. Art must be used to make a point or display a message or emotion, unless it isn’t. Art must be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, unless it isn’t. Art must be a tangible, physical object, unless it isn’t. How do you define an idea so diverse without limiting it by the very characteristics it possesses? We will never comprehend our innate desire to create art, but it is the hallmark of what being human means. 

However, even that’s not true; many animals make what society would deem art, like the Weaver birds, building intricately beautiful nests to attract a mate. To them, art is a primal instinct- its only purpose being the survival of their offspring. Likewise, human art is also assigned a purpose, such as winning a competition or earning a living, ultimately subtracting from the raw experience of creation by framing art as a by-product of the result. The fickle behavior of inspiration can not coexist with the unchanging demands of a system concentrated on deadlines because art can not be pumped out uniformly, like in a factory, drained of all its creative potential. Rather, artists must chase the fleeting butterfly of innovation, occasionally obtaining this delicate creature and transforming it into artwork. Nevertheless, art has become entwined with humanity and will continue to do so for many years to come, although we may never be able to define what it is.