Art is what turns existence into experience.

It’s the thread running through every so-called necessity. It shapes the decisions we make, the things we build, the stories we share. It’s not the opposite of survival—it’s the expression of it.

Without art, there is no architecture, no fashion, no culinary tradition, no meaningful communication.

This erosion isn’t accidental—it’s often political. Silencing art is a time-tested tool of authoritarianism. Erasing books and censoring creativity are not just acts of control—they are acts of cultural amnesia.

To forget art is to forget who we are.

That idea stuck with me. If art shapes how we perceive, connect, and innovate—why isn’t it considered essential in the same way food, clothing, and shelter are?

Why Isn’t Art Counted Among Necessities?

The answer might be simple: we’ve forgotten. Art is so embedded into the fabric of life that we no longer see it. It’s in the curves of a chair, the logo on a soup can, the story behind a song. But because we don’t always call it “art,” we forget to recognize it as such.

Worse, we’ve been conditioned to see... See more