Of the importance of being artsy

One of the things I miss the most since I moved to Syracuse is art. I know there are museums, art galleries or even movie theaters in the city but it’s definitely not as varied. I had the chance to live in Paris, and there are so many opportunities there to access art as a student. For instance most of museums are free when you’re under 26, and there’re at least 15 to 20 different exhibitions each seasons.

Maybe it is a cultural thing, because when you’re socializing with that crazy Parisian crowd, talking about art is like your free entrance ticket. I remember reading a funny piece on that this summer in the New York Magazine. They were saying that in most European or American big cities you would need to talk about sport to find a common subject of interest, but in Paris sport would never start a conversation. You would just earn a weird look and a shrug.

My point is that cultural life is essential to many people, and I particularly experienced it during the two years I spent in the French capital. I know that it is the case in most big cities, and although we are pretty lucky when it comes to the cultural life in Paris, it is not the only city with such a wealthy cultural life.

However, it is something I’m pretty tied to. So my concern since I am living in Syracuse is to find ways to enjoy art without having such a direct access to it. As much as it is a challenge, I actually love being outside of my “natural habitat” and have to adapt to a completely different environment from the one I used to live in.

After four months, I start to appreciate new things that I would have never consider liked in my former busy urban life. And I’m pretty surprised with myself to see that I tend to find ways to like the local cultural life, and complain less about how it is back home. 

I dislike everything, I'm Parisian

At the end of the day, I think the arts and culture are essential. However, it is not necessarily about having access to it, but more about knowing what to do once you enjoyed it and always keep you interested in everything surrounding you.