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Art molds our actual life of feeling; by giving form to the world, it articulates human nature, sensibility, energy, passion and mortality. (Suzanne Langer)

All my life, I've felt as if there was some greater force out there; one greater than God or even life itself. It guides me, pains me, and comforts me all the same. I've stood in place, screaming, crying, wondering "Why me?"

In these weak moments, I found solace in music. They spoke to me like no other person could. The pain, the anger, the joy, and sadness, easily captured by a string of notes. I always had the belief that through music, the universe and I find each other. It gives us a chance to lock eyes and converse. I realized that I don't find the music, but rather the music finds me.

Sun Bleached Flies encapsulates the struggles I've faced until now, and my desire for change. It may seem ridiculous to some, but in isolation, I found comfort and companionship in this song. It gave me the drive and motivation when all of those years I have never found the courage to do so. To finally embrace the change. To act and do what is necessary for my freedom.

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If art is defined within the ambit of “aesthetics,” whether as “aesthetic object,” or “aesthetic experience,” how is art viewed from this perspective?

It is no surprise that art is defined within the extent of its aesthetics, as people's most common perception of art is through the physical or visual quality it possesses. When diving deeper into the terms, we can see that art is regarded as an "aesthetic object" when it is valued by its visual qualities such as its form, color, composition, and craftsmanship. A very objective and literal way to consume art. Meanwhile, art is regarded as an "aesthetic experience" once it is valued through the feeling it incites within the viewer. This shifts the focus from its physical qualities and more to the emotions that the piece conveys, making it a more fulfilling experience, as it evokes feelings that may vary from one individual to another.

Following the influence of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, art as a concept eludes definition because it is “open-textured.” Instead, it is classified based on “family resemblances.” What does this mean vis-à-vis the definition of art?

I view art similarly to the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, as I also believe that there is no one way to consume art, making it difficult to pinpoint what exactly is art, what makes it good or bad, and who decides. Despite this, there are aspects or qualities in all art forms that overlap that make it so we are able to classify it as such—their "family resemblances" such as the creativity and passion coming from the artists that go into each piece, the emotional impact it leaves on the audience, or its aesthetic value; the technicalities that go into creating art.

However, with the rise of artificial intelligence and image generation through absorbing art from various websites, the lines become blurred—or rather, have they made them clearer? With the lack of authenticity and passion in generative "art," more people are drawn to the rawness of man-made pieces.

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Mona Lisa's Smile - Second Lesson "It's art!"

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Why indeed should the arts matter even to Science students?

As a society, we are subconsciously aware of the institutional bias the government and the world at large have toward the sciences. Encouraged throughout our childhood, and upheld even in academic spaces, it makes people develop harmful misconceptions about arts and humanities. There are labels made against these fields, causing fear and uncertainty in those who are interested in pursuing them. Labels that stick such as unprofitable, useless, and irrelevant, cause people to undermine the importance of these fields. However, these cannot be more untrue, as studies have shown how much profit the field of the arts and humanities has amassed through the years.

Shifting from a very capitalistic lens of the arts, people in general crave for the arts, even if it's only through their subconscious. They look out of their surroundings, desolate of passion and creativity; brands opting for sleek and minimalistic designs urging for more cost-effective measures, making humanity look more like a hivemind than a collective of unique individuals. The arts capture the people's hearts and are a cornerstone of society, but so are the sciences. There is no need to pit these fields against each other as they need each other to work. The sciences function as society's mind, meanwhile, the arts function as society's heart, and man cannot function without the other.

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What do you think this famous guy is screaming about? Does it achieve Collingwood’s “emotional resemblance”? How?

Edvard Munch's The Scream used to be one of my favorite paintings as a kid, as I've seen it being parodied countless times in cartoons. However, I feel quite a sense of guilt as I have found the painting to be quite ridiculous and dramatic. Not that I have entirely missed the point of the artist, but rather I was not able to completely empathize with his feelings as I have never felt the need to scream, nor have I experienced hearing someone scream as intensely as the man in the painting.

The art piece, as popularly interpreted, was a reflection of Munch's personal experiences and his mental state. Over time, as I grew older and matured, the feelings of depersonalization, fear, and worry that the painting evokes have become all too familiar to me. Now, I am able to empathize deeper, and feel the sense of horror and dread radiating off of the painting. This is a mark of a great artist; highlighting Collinwood's definition of 'emotional representation' in art by being able to encapsulate one's feelings in a few brushstrokes, as it was made with intention.

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My interpretation of Carlos Angeles’s “Landscape II”

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One is concrete and present—one is a mere trick of the light. Just because you see it doesn't mean it's actually there.