Why Art is More Important Than We Thought

China-born and China raised, I have some understanding about why Chinese parents send their kids to art classes. Some of the most common thoughts around it are:

“Most painters spent their lives in poverty and only became famous after they die—some even wend crazy and cut off their ears. But it's useful as it could help the kids to go to a better university with less than ideal academic result.”

“I've never thought about this thing called art, but other people's kids are doing it, mine can’t be left behind.”

“My child’s addicted to the iPad. Spending time in an art class is obviously better than spending time on cartoons or video games.”

“Skills are useful. They may need to use it one day at work”

“I like the idea of having a superior hobby, music, calligraphy, painting—all are good”

“My kid seems talented. Maybe they’ll become the next Chen Danqing (a famous Chinese artist)!”

“Creativity matters. Art can boost creativity, so let’s give it a try.”

In western countries like Australia, these thoughts may or may not be that relevant, but one thing is similar, art seems to be a secondary subject and can only be primary if the kids plan to be a professional artist. That probably explains why, in my art tutoring practice, the most enquiries are received from parents of younger kids. As soon as they get into older into a stage of academic competition, say OC class, or later, selective school exam, they'll drop art to allocate more time on these more important subjects.

The Visible and Hidden Functions of Art

The functions of Art, which could be divided into two categories, visible function and hidden functions.

Visible Functions

Visible functions are the immediate, easily observed outcomes—things you can measure, see, or be seen. Examples include:

- Produce artworks good enough to post on social media, win a prize, or win competitions.

- Able to decorate a white board or gallery wall for an upcoming event.

- Help to get into a good school or university when the marks alone wouldn't do.

- Looks like a someone who's artistic and, well, attractive.

Hidden Functions

Unlike visible functions, hidden function are difficult to identify or quantify. Let's use artists' quote as examples.

Something about art as a second language.

“I discovered I can use colour and shape to express things I can’t put into words.”  —Georgia O’Keeffe

Something about the ability to discover beautiful things to the eyes and heart.

Beauty is everywhere. It’s not that it’s lacking; it’s that we fail to see it.”   —Auguste Rodin

Something emphasise creativity:

In the past, art couldn’t stuff your stomach, but in the future, if you don’t learn art, you might not able to feed yourself.” —Jack Ma

Something about art help to sharpen our insight about the world.

Art is the expression of our dreams. The more we yield to it, the closer we come to the inner truth of things.” —Franz Marc

The importance of self expression.

“When creativity comes from the heart, success is almost guaranteed. When it comes from the head, nothing seems to work.” —Marc Chagall

Let’s now focus on what I believe is the most powerful yet overlooked aspect of art: Self expression.

As Georgia O’Keeffe noted, art is a visual language that help to articulates our inner feelings. It's not just an innate human need, but also an ability. When we speak, we are not speaking to prove the ability of speaking. Likewise, we shouldn’t create art simply to prove that we can create good art.

Chagall once said that an artist should boldly be themselves and pour that honesty into their art—if they can do that sincerely, others will embrace it.

Art isn’t just about technique or beauty—it’s about revealing who you are. When you create art just to express yourself, the result is imbued with a vibrant, compelling energy that not only self-healing, but also touch the heart of others, just like how a poet use poems to release their inner spirit.

True poetry comes from the free expression of the spirit, unbound by rigid forms. If the words do not flow from the depths of one’s heart, they are not worth writing. Sometimes, when emotion and setting converge, a thousand words pour out in an instant, like a rushing river—so powerful it takes your breath away."

The same is true for art. A great piece of art is a natural outpouring of the soul. It has no fixed form, no prescribed formula. Anything constrained by convention is, by nature, mediocre. When inspiration strikes, creation flows forth like a torrent, and the resulting work carries a profound, soul-stirring impact.

A Tale of Two Drawings

Six-year-old Qiyuan did the below drawing from our one of my online art classes. If you happen to be the type of people who judge art on how realistic they are, you might ask: “Why do these swimmers have arms longer than their legs, why do they only have three fingers, and how these fishes are bigger than the people?

Let's compare that drawing with one of the typical artworks in lots of art centres. Lots of parents would prefer the one below: it has neat outlines, bold colours, fish actually resemble a fish, and the water looks blue.

Yes, all of these comments are true, but if you take a second look, you would probably notice that it feels lifeless. The fish looks like plastic, the plants look stiff, and there is no individual flair, and no excitement—it’s just a bunch of different shapes and colours arranged together.

Now let's go back to Qiyuan’s work, and notice the joy, imagination, and the sheer vibrancy. This child’s innate artistic instincts shine through. The free-flowing lines suggest the drawing was done in one energetic burst. The composition balances tension and harmony—fish and people are rendered in simple, confident shapes; the lines have rhythm and order; even with a lot of elements, it doesn’t feel cluttered. That long fish in the lower-left corner grounds the entire scene and creates an underlying sense of balance. The picture brims with a story that invites you to lean in and explore.

That's how children's art should look like.

Chinese painter and essayist Feng Zikai once described children’s drawings this way:

“Look carefully at these scribbles, and you’ll see a genuine creative instinct. Every stroke flows straight from their small but passionate hearts; each drawing is a little tribute to their heartfelt impressions.”

Some might argue, “Shouldn’t the teacher at least teach them the correct number of the fingers?”*

Take a look at this Picasso painting, and count the fingers on the woman’s hands.

Picasso certainly knew people have five fingers. Six-year-old Qiyuan definitely knows that too. But for an artist, capturing emotion often outweighs faithfully reproducing reality. During the artistic process, inspiration bursts out, and the thinking mind steps back. Everything serves the artist’s inner vision, channeling that unique life force onto the canvas. That vitality is the highest form of creativity.

Let's now look at Paul Klee's art below. Can you see the same spirit in Qiyuan's drawing?

“The purpose of art is to wash the dust of daily life off our souls.” —Pablo Picasso

Some parents may ask, “Even if it's true that art is a second language, can’t they just talk it out? After all my kid doesn’t plan on becoming an artist, why bother?”

The freedom and authenticity of artistic expression can be just as crucial for a lay person as for a professional artist. We often see heartbreaking news of children who suicide over seemingly minor things. Some people might comment, “Kids nowadays can’t take any setbacks,” There is a problem here is that many children don’t seem to have an outlet for their emotions computers.Yes, their parents may sign them up for all sorts of extracurriculars, but often those are the parents’ passions, not the child’s. In fact, sometimes these “hobbies” could add extra pressure. If children are taught to use art as a self-expression, as opposed to a skill that need to be gained, it could actually be something very beneficial for their mental health.

In the future, if a child achieved success with their career, art can help settle their mind, preventing them from seeing their career as the only purpose in life and feeling like they have lost everything if they fail. If a child's ended up to be mediocre, art will enable them to live a more joyful and nourishing life.

Whenever I run into a problem, I face it with the axe of art.” —Yayoi Kusama

Yes, self-expression through art opens an additional door in life, and that can be crucial. It unlocks a new way to sense the world and convey your feelings. On the surface level, producing a single stunning piece of work seems more “practical” than self expression. But when it come to the lives that the children live, artistic self-expression can be the most substantial benefit, whether or not they end up as a professional artist or not. That's the hidden function of art, one that often been overlooked.