by Renae Richardson

Created on: August 01, 2009   Last Updated: August 02, 2009

Art brings to mind images of men and women wide eyed with wonderment poised at a blank canvas with brush at the ready.

With imagination running feverishly they reach forth their brush or clay-laden hands ready to influence the world. The paint brush is the mouthpiece and the canvas the forum by which they influence great change.

Yes, the forum differs vastly from that of a great meeting hall and the vernacular of speech is greatly displaced from that of the human voice. The effects are no less powerful.

The power to move individuals and initiate passionate response transcends all barriers.

However, you are not here to debate the persuasiveness of art but rather to put to test the question at hand; "If art itself is a vehicle of persuasion, is persuasion then in turn a form of art".

Let us first define art!

Art is the stylistic interpretation of life, or rather a creative outpouring through which one's emotions, passions, and worldviews are objectified.

Simply stated, what we create and give substance to is first given form in the heart and mind.

Let us define persuasion!

To persuade is to move towards action. It is the genteel act of effecting a change in behavior.

Persuasion as it relates to art.

People are walking canvases. What you see in a person is a result of influence. We have learned behaviors and our worldviews and actions are byproducts of what we have learned from those with whom we have come in contact with. The greater the contact the more influence those people usurp in our lives.

Many would admit that they have been greatly influenced by those who have come into their lives and shared human experiences.

Yes, we are definitively the reflection of the persuasive influence of others.

How difficult is to persuade?

An individual is much like a tree, for both grow from the tiniest of seeds, which in no way reflects the future visage. Both the tree and man, are very pliable at youth; and are easily shaped, and molded. However, at maturity the roots become strong and the branches are unbendable. At this time it is difficult to effect any change in form because entrenchment has taken place.

This renders that one must be delicate and creative in their approach when seeking to move to action at this time.

"The roots of a tree (individual), in its adulthood, firmly grab hold to the earth. It takes hold and is unmovable, fixated, relying heavily on that soil for nourishment. " Therefore, one must seek to open the understanding of the individual in a way that will incite desire, a restlessness that supersedes contentment of continuity. This often requires varying strategies, methods of outreach, and presentations. This requires an artist of methods who can interpret the needs of people and deliver. Not unlike an artist who is skilled in varying art forms who knows when to focus on sculpting, pastels, abstract, or portraits and is familiar with timing and the market wherein he or she operates that he or she may impact the world.

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