How To Enjoy Art Museums?

Art is a mystery for many people, I often hear people try to say that it’s overrated “I can draw that too!” What I hear is desperation when you’re forced to spend time with someone you don’t like, you are told this person is cool, but you really don’t get it. 

Art can be frustrating when you try to follow others comments, and lose your path. Art can be liberating, inspiring, joy of your life, meaning for life, love, hope, beauty. Instead for many it is confusing, boring and tiring. 

I believe that if you approach art with a selfish goal - to find your passion, then it will become one of the brightest parts of your life, no matter who you are, how far you are from art and what is your taste, you will find something to love. 

When I visit art museums with a friend that is not very passionate about staring for hours at a painting, I start a “Find My Love For Art” tour. We walk faster a bit through the spaces, and stop only at works that catch my friend’s eyes, then we stop and I ask him - “You like it, why, what do you like?” Then, we take a picture of the painting and the details about it, as a bookmark. And usually this puts  a smile on my friend by the end of the tour. 

In art you can too discover a new reality, full of human connection, raw feelings, inspiration, experience, ideas. 

Next time when you go to a museum do this:

• Don’t read titles until you see something you like.
• If you like something - take a picture of the art and the title.
• Search more about the artist and art style later. 
• Create a collection of artworks you like on Pinterest. 

This will get you started, when you have a general feeling what you like, only now you can truly start enjoying the journey of human communication through art.

7 Steps you need to do to find your voice in art:

1. Never force yourself to like something you don’t like, don’t even bother reading the titles if you don’t feel like it. 
2. Try to focus on emotional experience, look for how it makes you feel, watch your emotional reactions. 
3. What memories, feelings, ideas stir in you a particular piece? 
4. Listen other’s opinions but trust yourself to choose what you like. There is no way you can have the same feelings as others, for the same art, so don’t look for a teacher, be your own teacher, trust your feelings. 
5. Go to art workshops, even if it’s a collage party, try it ou, express yourself, don’t be your own harshest critic, appreciate the attempt (a reminder to myself too)))
6. Play with it, art is for play and creativity, this is where your uniqueness can be safely accepted and appreciated, don’t be shy, let yourself free to explore and express yourself, even if it's only with your taste.
7. Take your time, finding your art is like finding your love, you will need to meet many “people” and hear many voices before you find yours. 

I think this works for most art mediums, paintings, sculpture, architecture, music, dance. 
Start with what gives you most enjoyment, this will keep you engaged, in time your experience and interests will expand, and your curiosity will grow. 
Do not let yourself get bored, if you are… move to something else… 
You do not have to understand all art forms and styles, if you give it time - you will grow to be more curious and appreciative of diversity and plurality, but in the beginning you are not ready to do it. 

Art is a language that directly talks to feelings and thoughts of the artist, a visceral, much more complex and nuanced language. 
If you learn to open yourself to this communication, you will find a rich and visceral connection with people through art. Art will stir deep and wide in you, it will pull deep subconscious processes, start new ideas, ask new questions, formulate experiences, give you a voice, express your unexpressed feelings, and will heal your loneliness. 
We are social beings, our need is to communicate, to be heard, to connect to other humans, and through art you will have an open channel, a torrent, an avalanche, when language is a small river, and sometimes it dries out. 

Art has no language and cultural barriers, it helps us be one, beyond our differences beyond isms. 

It is the most powerful and rich part of human communication, and it will heal your wounds, fill your emptiness, expand your consciousness, and tell you that you’re not alone. 

I encourage you to start your journey to find your beauty now. 

Here are some links that will help you explore art right now. 

Google Arts & Culture - I use it instead of facebook, while I feel like procrastinating, you can install their app on your phone and tap into vast collections and amazing material put together by Google. 

Or visit museums from your couch, I often like to revisit museums I have been to and refresh, learn new ideas from old memories, or discover my next quest. 

The British Museum -  published more than 2 million high definition records on their website. 

Library Of Congress 

Rijks Museum

National Portrait Gallery 

MoMA

Museum Of Fine Arts

De Young Museum

Harvard Art Museum

Louvre Museum 

National Gallery Of Art

American Art Gallery 

Other Useful Links:

Bridgeman Gallery

A Map of Artist Websites and Locations