Sometimes we move through life feeling like we have everything figured out. We follow the schedules, check off the boxes, and nod along to the easy answers that society hands us. But every once in a while, a piece of music, a painting, or even a poem stops us in our tracks. James Baldwin beautifully captured this phenomenon when he said that the purpose of art is to lay bare the questions hidden by the answers. To me, this means that art isn't just about decoration or beauty; it is a tool for excavation. It digs beneath the surface of our comfortable certainties to reveal the messy, beautiful, and often terrifying questions we are too afraid to ask ourselves.
In our everyday lives, we often use 'answers' as a form of armor. We say things like 'this is just how it is' or 'everything happens for a reason' to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty. We use these phrases to shut down the deeper inquiries into our purpose, our pain, or our desires. Art, however, refuses to let us stay comfortable. A haunting melody doesn't give you a solution to your grief, but it holds space for the question of why loss feels so heavy. A striking photograph doesn't tell you how to live, but it might force you to ask if you are truly present in your own life.
I remember a time when I was feeling quite stuck, much like a little duck lost in a thick fog. I was following all the 'right' steps, yet I felt hollow. I picked up a book of poetry, and one specific line about the transient nature of shadows hit me like a physical weight. The poem didn't provide a roadmap for my life, but it stripped away my pretension of being 'fine' and forced me to confront the question of what I actually valued. It broke through the easy answer I had been using to hide from my own dissatisfaction. That moment of discomfort was exactly where the healing began.
When we engage with art, we are essentially giving ourselves permission to be uncertain again. We are allowing the layers of certainty to peel away so we can see the raw truth underneath. It can be a vulnerable experience to let those hidden questions surface, but it is also the only way to find genuine growth and connection. The questions are where the soul resides, far beneath the polished surface of our daily routines.
Next time you find yourself moved by a song or a painting, don't rush to find a way to 'fix' the feeling or explain it away. Instead, sit with it. Ask yourself what question that piece of art is trying to bring to light within you. Embrace the mystery, for it is in the seeking that we truly find ourselves.