Arts • Opinion

Art Is the Answer

By David Sinaiko in Spring 2026

It’s a confusing time to be a human. The pressure to find authenticity in a complex world fraught with conflict, polarization, and environmental crises, is enormous. Meanwhile, a bombardment of digital information (the veracity of which shrinks in direct proportion to the overwhelming rate at which it grows) keeps us detached and passive. The platforms which feed us this “content” are designed to addict us, and have been wildly successful, reaping massive profits from our attention. And we, isolated in our digital bubbles of distraction, allow the algorithms to dictate what we consume, dulling our imaginations in the process. This digital world that consumes us is a virtual world. It is not real. It is a projection. Our lives within it are increasingly mediated - separated from direct sensation and experience by pixels and programs. The virtual world gives the illusion of community, while we’re often alone in our rooms - or sitting side-by-side staring into individual screens, not present with each other. It gives the illusion of engagement and creativity, while extracting our data and making us the product. And with the intense push towards AI everywhere, our fatigue is palpable. We feel disconnected, distracted, unmoored, and overwhelmed. We crave real experience. As recent court cases in Texas and California show, there is little doubt this digital addiction adversely affects the health of our society. So what is the treatment?

The antidote is simple, and is all around us. The answer is art. Nothing enhances the human experience more than the making and consuming of art. To paint, sculpt, dance, sing, or act is to engage our humanity fully. Standing before a painting or a photograph inspires us. Embodying action, emotion, and melody, nourishes our deep human need to experience and understand ourselves and each other directly. To consume art together, in a theater, a gallery, or a concert hall builds community organically and allows us to contemplate and explore our humanness. To make and experience art is, by nature, transformative and transdisciplinary. It reveals new perspectives on our work, and illuminates connections between seemingly disparate fields. It allows us to be present in the moment, and focuses us on process, rather than result. Albert Einstein famously said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” And nothing cultivates the imagination more than the power of art to connect us, fulfill us, and soothe us. How can we find authenticity in the deluge of a troubled virtual world? The answer is always art.