Art is Inherently Pro-Environment in 2025

I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘starving artist’ before. It’s a common archetype representing open-minded people who chose to pursue their creative projects and passions instead of finding a quicker and more reliable route to money. Since the time of the Renaissance, much of the respect for and valuation of artistic professions has slowly depleted, and the trend of artists being undervalued in society has only grown. How does this connect artists with the earth and environment? Let’s dive in:

A clay model with people, earth, trees, and a guitar.

Art As a Need

When referring to art, I mean all art: visual, auditory, written, tactile, experiential, experimental, anything. Society is very quick to push the idea that art is not a need, that it is merely a hobby or outlet that can be replaced. The truth is that art is essential for both the creator and the consumer. Art is not just old paintings in a museum, it’s everything. Art is fashion design, interior decoration, architecture. Art is film, theater, pottery, poetry, comedy, tragedy. Art is just one small step above food and water, and without it, we would be in the dark ages. There is not a single person who doesn’t enjoy some form of art.

Let’s think about how art is undervalued. Children in school, as early as elementary and middle school, are told to manage their career expectations and find a happy medium: something they enjoy doing that also makes money. For the most part, this means prioritizing money over preference in the long run, and that’s not horrible advice. Everyone deserves to make enough money to be able to live. Fields like music, writing, acting, etc. are extremely competitive and only pay well at the highest levels.

Now, let’s think about the state of the environment. We are in the face of climate change: the slow destruction of the earth generated by corporate and political carelessness and greed. These corporations and political entities along with the people they pay and sway are culpable for the uphill battles we face from both environmental and artistic standpoints, and through this, activism for art and the earth go hand in hand.

This is demonstrated by shared progressivism in both art and environmental activism. The nature of progressivism is to improve the state of the world by pushing boundaries and making exceptions. Through this philosophy, new environmental plans, sustainable technologies, pro-earth compromises, coalitions, and organizations have been formed. This is also the same philosophy that drives innovation in art, especially art that is more politically poignant. Groundbreaking, exciting art has never been created by thinking inside the box. To put it simply: art and environmental activism run on the same fuel, and are extinguished by the same enemy.

A clay depiction of a pro-environment rally. People hold signs in a forest behind a big globe.

Art As Protest

There are also times when art and environmental activism more blatantly unite. There are staggering amounts music, graffiti, films, books, zines, and more that host central themes and intentions of awareness for environmental sustainability. This is no coincidence. By supporting creative spaces and doing what we can to save the earth, we are actively opposing those who place their faith in an economy that wants to succeed at all costs. Art is human nature. Preserving our planet is human nature. We deserve a world in which we can do both.