Art can uplift, provoke, soothe, entertain and educate us and is an important part of our lives. At its most profound level, it takes us from the everyday to a place of introspection and contemplation, to see the bigger picture of the human condition.

Art exposes us to different eras, cultures, people, stories, and ways of doing things, thus making us more aware of truly how diverse this world is around us and where our place is in history.

One key takeaway is that Tommy compromises by trying art the art teacher's way and also getting to try his own way as an artist. In the book, The Art Lesson, Tommy wants to be an artist when he gets older. He practices his art all of the time and listens to the advice of artists he knows who tell him to never copy.