WHAT IS ART? My Perspective
I recall that many years ago, during my time at the university, I took a course in English that covered Literary Stylistics, Literary Criticism, and Major European Writers. Under the section on Major European Writers, we examined the works of prominent literary thinkers whose ideas profoundly shaped the world’s understanding of art and creativity. Among the writers who left a lasting impression on me were Leo Tolstoy and Virginia Woolf. Tolstoy’s reflections in What is Art? stood out as the most compelling, shaping the way I began to think about the role and purpose of artistic expression. Woolf, on the other hand, in her essay A Room of One’s Own, raised equally profound and necessary points about the conditions under which art, especially women’s art, is produced and valued.
At that time, I found myself reflecting deeply on their insights and quietly resolved that one day, I too would attempt to articulate my own vision of what art means, drawing from my personal journey as a writer. Years have passed since then, and with them have come experience, growth, and a deeper understanding of the world and of myself. It is from this place of maturity and reflection that I now feel ready to enter this conversation.
In doing so, I do not seek to rival the voices of these great thinkers of the past, but rather to stand alongside them as a contemporary writer, bringing my own perspective into dialogue with theirs. My reflections will, therefore, reference Tolstoy’s uncompromising vision of art and Woolf’s insistence on the necessity of space and freedom for creativity. By comparing and contrasting these perspectives with my own, I hope to enrich the discourse and offer a contribution that speaks to both the timelessness of art and the urgency of its meaning in our present age.
When I first began writing, my aim was simple yet profound: to excite people by stimulating their imaginations, arousing their emotions, and making them feel valued. Over time, however, my education in philosophy reshaped my approach. Philosophy sharpened my thinking, but it also made my writing dense and overly elaborate. In my eagerness to sound profound, I often fell into long-windedness, complex writings with subsequent clarifications, so that no reader would miss my point.
After many years, I discovered that true maturity in art is simplicity. It is the ability to say what must be said without fear, without waffling, without excessive ornamentation. I eventually discarded the loquacious style and embraced clarity, realizing that simplicity is not the absence of depth but the distilled essence of wisdom. In this, I found myself agreeing with Tolstoy’s conviction that true art must be sincere and accessible, transmitting feeling directly from one soul to another. At the same time, I also recognized Woolf’s insistence that clarity arises not only from craft but from the freedom to speak authentically, without bending under the weight of external demands.
My growth and experience gave me a lot of confidence, and I no longer felt the need to prove my art by focusing on what is outside of me, just to impress and be accepted. However, I focused on what was internal, true, original, and authentic. I trusted my messages to carry their own weight. I wrote with certainty. And I gave room for the reader to discover meaning for themselves by turning on the light in the room of my art. This trust could also be what Leo Tolstoy describes as infectiousness—the unity between artist and audience, where a sincere message passes from one soul to another without resistance. Woolf, too, would have approved of this inner assurance, for she believed that only when an artist possesses a room of their own, whether literal or metaphorical, can they produce work that is both personal and universal.
From this perspective, three lessons about art emerge:
- Maturity is Simplicity
If you truly have a message, your first duty is to convey it. Style is important, but it should serve meaning, not overshadow it. Profound truths shine through simplicity. As the saying goes, “The highest form of wisdom is to be simple.” ‘Arete’, as Aristotle would call it.
- Understand The Social Context
We live in a fast-moving, distracted world where attention is constantly pulled in competing directions like social media, clickbait headlines, and endless entertainment. In such an environment, art must respect the reader’s time. Needless repetition, elaborate detours, and empty flourishes risk losing the audience. Brevity and clarity are now necessities for relevance.
- Self-Actualization
With maturity comes self-awareness. When you know who you are and what you bring, you no longer bend under the weight of public opinion. Your art becomes an authentic extension of yourself. You become a letter: a living text shaped by trial and experience. Woolf’s notion of independence and Tolstoy’s emphasis on sincerity both converge here, though they arrive by different routes—Woolf through freedom, Tolstoy through moral clarity.
Adapting Writing to Suit Generational Shift
Whether time changes because things change or things change because time changes, I think our contemporary world has undergone significant changes from what it used to be. People have more to do with little time now, while people had less to do with more time then. As a result, our generation has engineered a world that prioritises speed, allowing us to accomplish more within our limited lifespans. Computers are faster, transportation is faster, and even food preparation has been accelerated through innovative cooking technologies. We now rely on software to complete tasks more efficiently. Yet, the rise of social media with its endless stream of content creation and clickbait designed to capture attention has also become a troubling source of distraction. All these happenings have culminated in affecting writing, and writers ought to adapt their style to face those changes and the generational shift. I believe if the writing is not for academic purposes or for any purpose that demands adherence to certain prescriptive writing standards, then getting to the point quickly should be the wise, safe, and quick way to approach your writing. Because, as I have said, people now don’t have the time, patience, and discipline to focus or stick to one thing at a time.
Daddy Lumba and the Philosophy of Art
In discussing What is Art?, I cannot overlook one of Ghana’s greatest songwriters, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba. Many listeners have remarked that Lumba often sings, and the words don’t come out loudly. Yet, he didn’t seem troubled by those comments. Lumba remained focused and consistent because he understood what he was doing, and he was confident about his work of art. His confidence rested not without but within.
Behind his delivery lies extraordinary lyrical craftsmanship – deep, poetic, and proverbial. Often, the words he sang did not align with what the casual listener thought they heard. But that is part of his genius: his art invited listeners to probe deeper, to seek the hidden meaning beneath the surface. Here, one senses a departure from Tolstoy, who demanded clarity, but a harmony with Woolf, who believed that art, once born from authenticity, could afford to be subtle and layered.
Lumba understood his art and purpose so perfectly that he was so loyal to his calling and art, and therefore, he stayed in his lane. And for that, he was able to bring out the very best in him. That is why he achieved the very highest form of greatness in Ghanaian music. Doing this requires a lot of patience, self-discipline, self-assurance, confidence, and deep understanding of oneself and the world, which allows one to live with less effort and more grace.
Great art does not hand everything to its audience; it creates a sense of mystery, desire, and expectation. The true pleasure of art is not in instant comprehension, but in discovery – the sudden illumination that occurs when the reader, listener, or viewer uncovers what at first seemed hidden. This is why Psalm 62:11 is so profound: “One thing God has spoken; two things I have heard.” From a single utterance, multiple meanings emerge, and the listener is compelled to dwell, to interpret, and to experience revelation in stages. A single line from Lumba’s song may carry more than one interpretation. It may sound straightforward on the surface, yet beneath it lies a web of meanings that vary depending on who is listening, what they are going through, and how deeply they are willing to engage. Each interpretation is not a contradiction but a layer, an opportunity for the listener to be joined with the artist in shared revelation. This is what gives certain lyrics their timeless power: they resist being exhausted by a single explanation.
The world of painting demonstrates this vividly. People travel great distances to gaze upon a single painting canvas, sometimes standing silently before it for long moments as though waiting for it to speak. Others will pay enormous sums of money to acquire a painting, not only because of the colours, strokes, or subject matter, but because of the aura that surrounds it. They are not just buying a physical object; they are buying the feeling it evokes, the belief that it is rare and irreplaceable, the idea that within it lies something worth uncovering. For some, the painting becomes a portal into mystery, a silent companion that holds truths which cannot be spoken outright but only intuited.
At times, you may look at such a painting and wonder why it is considered so valuable. You may see nothing special at all, while others look at it with awe, reverence, and even trembling. The difference is not necessarily in the painting itself, but in the eyes that behold it. Those who find meaning in it perceive something hidden, an idea, an essence, a presence that is invisible to the untrained or uninitiated. This is why myth and narrative often surround great works of art, for the story that is told about a painting can elevate its status and deepen the sense of mystery attached to it. The myth, whether true or constructed, becomes part of the art’s power.
Ultimately, art is not merely an object or a performance; it is an encounter. Its greatness lies in its ability to provoke questions, stir desire, and draw the audience into a dialogue that is never fully concluded. That is why mystery is not a weakness but a strength. It ensures that art remains alive, always speaking anew, always offering the possibility of discovery. To engage with it is to step into a space where meaning multiplies, where what seems ordinary becomes extraordinary, and where what is hidden may slowly be revealed to those who are willing to seek.
This is why Lumba is regarded as a lyrical institution, worthy of study. Like Shakespeare, his themes are timeless and universal, and his language is steeped in cultural richness. Moreover, he demonstrated versatility by adapting to changing generations, ensuring his relevance across decades. His songs addressed existential questions about love, betrayal, mortality, struggle, rejection, failure, perseverance, success, faith, and happiness that resonate with every human being.
So, What is Art?
To conclude on my humble contribution to the discourse of what art is, Art is not merely self-expression, nor is it only entertainment. Art is the creation of emotions, imagination, and desire – to bring discovery, meaning, and illumination. It is that mysterious force which invites us to persist, to ponder, and to probe, until we find ourselves united with the artist in truth and feeling.
As Virginia Woolf once reflected, she wrote first for herself, trusting that authenticity would carry her work beyond her own time. Likewise, art at its best is not about impressing others, but about being true to one’s inner discoveries and allowing others to discover themselves through it. Here she joins hands with Tolstoy, who insisted that sincerity was the soul of art. They differ in emphasis; he on moral clarity, she on creative freedom. But both converge in the conviction that art must arise from what is deepest and truest in the artist.
In this way, art is both personal and universal. It is the spark that ignites imagination, the bridge that unites souls, and the hidden treasure that reveals itself to those who are willing to look deeper.
