Certainty of Trees 3, 2003

I offer an aesthetic perspective. Nope, that’s not to say that I can advise you on decisions involving your hair length or your wardrobe (in fact, I could really use your help in those areas). It means I have experience in making art and responding to it, and training in how to see— and that shapes my perspective.

(I offer an opinion, too, that medicine is one field in particular where this kind of training is highly practical. More on that soon.)

There are lots of brilliant researchers and theorists out there casting insight onto what aesthetic thought is. One thing they agree on is that the word “aesthetic” has way too many meanings – which sometimes confuses things (this sweet little gem offers a summary with yummy pictures).

I like how John Dewey acknowledges that no definitions feel adequate, except to say “aesthetic is the opposite of anaesthetic.”  I also like Abigail Housen‘s definition:

“An aesthetic response is one that combines thought and emotion– the two essences of being human.”

So here goes — with open eyes and open heart.