What Does Art Have to Do With Empathy?

A legend, a ten year old kid, a reality show, and then a heated online debate about empathy. Yes! I'm talking about the episode of a kid named Ishit Bhatt who participated in Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 17 and caught the nation's attention. When the host of the show, Amitabh Bachchan began explaining the rules, Ishit interrupted confidently and said, "Don't explain the rules, just ask the next question."

This clip went viral and social media started branding him as "arrogant", "overconfident", accusing his parents of bad parenting! Some even claimed that this is what the decline of empathy and rise of narcissism look like! But isn't this true for almost all of us? Why should only children have the responsibility to display it? What can we do about instilling concern and care in our children and ourselves?!

One study found a steep decline in empathy among young people from 1979 to 2009. Dr. Sara Konrath, an associate professor of philanthropic studies at Indiana University expresses that in order to increase empathy, we need to think of it as important in the first place. She says, "The motivation really matters. Then from there, there's many ways."

"We are always so quick to judge others but when it comes to actually putting in the effort to learn and unlearn our patterns and behaviour, we try to find excuses."

The World of Imagination is Real

Fables have always been a source of education, a method of teaching instead of just being a form of education. There's no denying that. Children are warned, taught morals and introduced to belief systems and concepts like love, forgiveness, good v/s evil, enmity etc. However, fables also teach us to imagine.

Imagination is one of our greatest strengths. To be able to have a moment, imagine a world in the books we read and tales we listen to and to be able to feel for the characters, to think from their perspectives, find similarities between them and ourselves, are the perfect ingredients to make this dessert called "empathy." Children possess the magical quality of being able to appreciate both the real and imagined equally.

Fiction is the Best Remedy

A research study found that just reading in general is helpful for adults to be more empathetic but reading fiction is what opens up newer avenues to understanding what's going on in someone's mind. Reading about experiences of different lives and staying close to people we might not encounter in our everyday world can teach us to be more sensible about different points of view, gender, political affiliation, ethnicity and culture.

Art is Everybody's Best Friend

Relating decline of empathy with decline of mental health and rising burnout, Konrath suggests, "The decline in empathy is not just an excuse to down on our youth and tell them that you are not kind. It's an opportunity for us to better understand the pressures that are on them right now and the expectations that are pushing them to really just try to achieve success."

Here comes the all time life saver- Art! Art has been proven to be therapeutic for all age groups. Art activities help us connect with ourselves and one another. In a world facing unprecedented challenges and threats art events not only heal individual lives but also fosters empathy, bridging gaps between lived experiences. "Art therapy, by engaging participants in creating and sharing art, allows for meaningful exchanges that can transcend these divides", says Gary Christopher in his research.

Mentioned below are three art events worth experiencing without feeling the need to be perfect!

01

Art of Kintsugi

Kintsugi is the art of golden joinery, in which broken objects, usually ceramics, are mended with gold-dusted lacquer. Poulomi Bose, the founder and director of Pouls.of.art, has reinforced the powerful spirit of regeneration and empathy through the Kintsugi workshops that are being organised. Poulomi believes and so do we, that regeneration, whether ecological or personal, asks us to honor our struggles, our stories, no matter how imperfect, not-according-to-plan, silly or serious. We must deliberately thrive to see the value in continuity, in not giving up, in resilience rather than finding a replacement at the first instance. Kintsugi is not merely a metaphor but an art form and practice that aligns with sustainability, that we must inculcate in a fragile word that fears brokenness.

Kintsugi Workshop by Pouls.of.art

02

Fluid Art

Fluid art is messy, unpredictable, and impossible to control completely—and that is precisely its charm. When colours bleed into one another, when patterns form without rigid intention, we are forced to let go of perfection. In that surrender, something shifts. We begin to accept uncertainty. Empathy often requires a similar surrender. It asks us to sit with perspectives that may not align neatly with our own, to allow contradictions to coexist. Fluid art, in its quiet way, trains us for this.

Fluid Art Workshop by Pouls.of.art

03

Texture Art

Texture art, on the other hand, is about depth—about layers you can see and feel. It invites us to slow down and to notice the ridges, the roughness, the uneven surfaces. Much like people, no surface tells the whole story. When we engage with texture art, we are learning to pay attention. To look beyond what is smooth and polished, and to find meaning in what is complex, even uncomfortable. Empathy grows in this attention. It grows when we resist the urge to flatten someone's experience into a quick judgment and instead choose to explore its many layers.

Texture Art Workshop by Pouls.of.art