What is art?

What is Art, eh? Hmm, let’s see here. Okay, so I don’t know what it is. It’s one of those words that resists definition, like spirit or love. And it’s one of those words that you can preface with “Everything is…” and have it make sense on one level and be total bullshit on another level. To me, art is anything that springs from a person’s participation in a creative process. It’s the fruits of creativity. Of course, this begs the question “What is creativity?” and on down the line we go. Anything that has the power to stir us and awaken us can be thought of as art. In fact, it seems that art can only be understood in relational terms. Anything can be sensed as a work of art or a product of some creative process. There’s just a lot of mystery to it. A sixth century Chinese man would probably not consider a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo to be a work of art. It has a lot to do with the conscious or unconscious intentions of the creator. But it just can’t be simply defined. “Spontaneous self-expression of an intention into form?” “The manipulation of forms into containers which can communicate a sense of wonder, depth, and mystery?”