Maslow and the Arts

Above you see Maslow’s psychological structure for happy and healthy human beings, starting with physiological needs all the way up to the process of self actualization.

For Arts organizations to be effective they have to meet the first four needs- physiological, safety and security, love and belongingness and esteem before they can start to effectively experience the art at a truly appreciative and deep level.  Taking a general glance at society today I am struck by the lack of people that in a modern and "civilized" society are able to move to self actualization.  Arts organizations can offer the total package of the first four basic needs but in truth if people are not meeting the first four basic needs in their personal lives why would they venture out to join in the artistic world?  There are so many people in London struggling to live- basics such as food and shelter are difficult to come by.  And if that wasn't a hang up levels of psychological issues are higher than ever.  Depression is at an all time high and stress is one of the leading cause of heart failure and a host of other anxiety disorders.  How can these people be reached by the arts community if they are barely coping with their everyday life. 

How as Arts Marketers are we able to break through to people and offer them an experience that they might not be able to cope with.  To be blunt- I don't know.  This is a major struggle for the arts community.  If only twenty percent of the population is attending arts events then how small is the number that is actually having a self-actualizing experience.  The numbers are probably slim.  The more I thought about this the more upset I became.

But then I remember the words of Benjamin Zander as he said that the arts are for everyone- not just the mentally sound, rich and fully adjusted people.  Art can be therapeutic, I believe that.  There is something very cathartic about watching a play or listening to music or even seeing a piece of art.  The goal is that that people will gain meaning from it but does that mean that others can't enjoy the show?  Imagine a young child coming to a play for the first time and getting lost in the story and captivated by the performance.  That child might not have been "self actualizing" but they were participating in a world that perhaps helped them to escape.  The value of the arts can be as simple as escapism or as meaningful as a life change but it is all important.