“But what’ll the kids think, Harry?” Meghan said with a sense of genuine worry in her voice. “Well the place is just full of inappropriate art” said Harry in a matter-of-fact tone. “Maybe we should just plan something else”, sputtered Meghan. Harry agreed but with an evident annoyance in his voice.

       Museums today are thought of as places where people can go to spend time with their families and have a good old laugh at some the art they house. But, people today flounder at deciphering and divulging the perpetual purpose that museums serve – They are perhaps the only source of uncensored history available to mankind.

  Museums show, in an unequivocal way, the thoughts prevalent at various points in history. Prior to the advent of machine sculpturing, hand-sculptured art was perhaps the only reasonable way to divulge one’s inner thoughts. Some of these thoughts would’ve certainly had scenes depicting violence.

      But people complain that such art shouldn’t be shown in museums due to its offensive nature and because it may create negative feelings about the past in youths. A valid argument, but censoring off negative cataclysms and thoughts, and showing just the pleasant ones seems a bit reminiscent to what some dictators did and what some oppressive governments still do with speech and thought.

      Furthermore, if the youth see what their ancestors had to go through and how they dealt with such atrocities and better yet managed to encapsulate them in such indelible ways, it may teach them to embrace their thoughts. It will, more often than not, teach them the profundity of true and free thought and speech. It may equip them with the tools necessary to prevent them from being vulnerable cattle for the church or state. It may lead to a creative spark like no other.

       Numerous studies have shown there to be a direct relationship between creativity and academic excellence. Creativity doesn’t spark in static and pleasant moments, no, but in moments of dynamism and hardship. So, art – unequivocal, uncensored, blithe – is a not-so-easy, yet a completely worthwhile way to acquire an elusive creative edge; to ensure free speech and thought; and a renaissance of the soul.

By- Kashif Razvi