"Art" is a process -- "
the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others" (
LINK). That which is produced by this process is called a "
Work of art".
When an artist takes a disciplined approach -- from the grinding of pigments, to the crafting of brushes, to the construction of the canvas -- he or she is truly
involved in the creative process from start to finish. This is similar to the way a scientist taking a disciplined approach -- from the refinement of mineral ores, to the crafting of test equipment, to the construction of the reaction vessel -- he or she is truly
involved in the scientific process from start to finish.
But these were the old ways. IMO, there has been a "dumbing down" of processes involved in the arts, the sciences, and in education itself. For whatever reasons, the new way is to simply copy someone else's process, tweak it a bit, and claim the result as a new work of art or scientific discovery, such as when a student downloads someone else's thesis, paraphrases it liberally, rearrange the paragraphs, and then turns it in as their own 'original' thesis.
IMO, the loosening of the standards of discipline in the arts, the sciences, and in education have led to stagnation of the arts, pseudo-scientific practices and beliefs ("Woo"), and a seemingly endless panorama of diploma mills churning out people who are not ready for university even if the could afford it, or the real world if the could even comprehend it.
This "loosening of standards" is the only liberalism that we need to avoid.
While a Kincade painting may be nice to look at, it's mass-produced quality reduces its intrinsic value -- one Kincade painting is worth no more than the several hundred of its exact copies. That it is called "Art" is to apply a more liberal definition than the one stated in the first paragraph of this post, which would now read, "
the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others commercialized and sold to many others".
IMO, while the old adage that, "Art is not art until the artist has suffered for it" may be a little extreme, if taking a more disciplined approach to producing works of art means that the artist suffers a bit for his or her efforts, then so be it. Who needs a few hundred copies of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, anyway?
. It also means that my own work still has a chance even if it doesn't conform to those who consider themselves the guardians of public taste. 