Art

I've been thinking about an aspect of art: the reality of the subject. I know that's really broad.
If you think about the respected actors we all know of, what is a common factor of their performances? I think one of them would definitely be the ability to mimic the behaviors of the people we see everyday. We admire them for being able to take a fictional character and make them relatable, and something familiar and real.
The same can be said for writing, to a certain degree. We admire those writers whose characters, among radical settings and extraordinary occurrences, are beings that we recognize, and that are "believable" because they imitate the behaviors of everyday people.
Visual art praises those who can properly and realistically portray the people they paint. Whether abstract or photo realism or anything in between, we respect those who can some how show us they understand and show humanity in an accurate light.
So what is it that separates this art from everyday life? Instead of going to a movie, one could go people watching in the city. Instead of painting, we could take a photograph.
I think what separates art from these mundanes is the environments in which we place these familiar life forms. We watch them react and experience things that we likely won't. Art allows us to live by osmosis. Art is the ultimate answer to every "What if?" question out there, and that, in part is what makes it so vital. It allows us to be fantastical and without it, I think, we would be dull and grey.
It's so very powerful, then, to be an artist. It's noble and generous, and I thank those that have affected me, and even who those that have not, because they make this world so much a better place.