what makes art art

Art is any form of self-expression. Art is something that is created that entertains, inspires, educates or makes a person feel something good, bad or unexplainable. Art is whatever the artist does or makes in which they deem to be art whether it is of value or not. There is a wide variety of art, some that people wouldn’t imagine as art, but a true artist sees art in every creation.
Art is everywhere and in everything I see. Art is not just a painting, poem, drawing or a ballet. When I think of art I think of something somebody does to release their feelings. Different people express art in various ways. For example, someone who writes a love letter because they are unable to express their feelings through touch or emotion. Is this art? Watching Michael Jordan drive down the court and slam the ball. He was recognized for his unique ways for a reason. So, is this art? Making music, any type of music whether it is appealing to your ears or not. Is this art? All of these things are art to me. Art does not have to be beautiful or make you feel good to be defined as art; it is an expression of emotion. We are all artists in my eyes because we are all able to feel and create. All of life is art to me.
When I think about art, its creator and the meaning of the creation I think the content is more important then the context. I don’t necessarily need to understand when and why it was created to form my opinion on whether or not I enjoy it. I like to find my own meaning and form my own opinion without knowing the background of the art. After I form my opinion I do like to research and find the artists meaning to see if I understood their expression without having it outlined. As an example I would like to reference Edward Keinholz's piece, History as a Planter. Before doing any research on this piece I noticed the feet which I thought represented history and movement, the sign notating war I thought about struggle, and the plant, which I was perplexed