What is art to you now, have your views changed if so why?

My views of art have changed completely. Before I took this class, Art was boring, confusing, and overwhelming at times. I was discouraged because I felt I never understood the meaning or purpose of the art work. Now, I understand some artists create an art piece that's open for interpretations, or to show the process of creating an art piece, and sometimes its just as simple as creating something for the fun of it. I didn't understand the purpose of art in general at the beginning, now I understand some artists use art to communicate with the world. I feel like I have a brand new set of eyes and an open mind when it comes to art, appreciate it for what it is instead of making it more complicated then it needs to be. I definitely gained a lot of respect for artists who have the courage to make themselves vulnerable to this judgmental world and pursue a career in something they enjoy and love with the uncertainty of money and success. Learning about these artist's pasts and how they incorporate their past into their art work is interesting and gives more value to the art work. In every art piece the artist creates, they're sharing a piece of them with the world and I think that's admirable and brave. Reading about art all day does no justice for art, going out there and experiencing it for myself really helped me connect and grow an interest in art that I never thought I would have.