The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World​

By reading this koob, you will learn why art is a gift that is rarely compensated for its true worth in modern society.

You will also learn:

• How to define a gift;

• How a modern consumer society does not support a gift society;

• The difference between value and worth;

• Why art is a true gift; and

• How Walt Whitman and Ezra Pound exemplify artists as gift-givers.

It is challenging to determine the worth of art, of a creative labor that cannot be quantified by a physically consumable good or hourly work. Art is a gift, and we must determine how to accept and quantify this gift we receive from artists. By looking at the definitions of a gift and its role in a society different from a modern capitalist one, we can try to understand better the gifts artists offer and their value to the community. ​Are you ready to better appreciate gift-giving in society, and thus better value the work of art?