*In the summer of 1949, there were two men who worked at the same fish warehouse in Iceland. They both had the same paycheck every month.

Kjell, the first man, took his paycheck home every month and fed his family. With the little he had left, stressed after paying bills, he would go to the bar and spend the money on drinks with his friends. He'd make memories with them, but nothing more. Much later, Kjell ended up with severe liver cancer because of his alcohol intake over the years. He died early with little left for his children.

Aron, the second man, also took his paycheck home every month to feed his family. But instead of spending it at the bar, he did something else.

One day, while listening to the radio at work, he heard wise words from the world-renowned painter, printmaker, sculptor and designer Michael Ayrton:

"Certainly, the history of my life and the works of art which have especially enriched it is precisely that: the depiction or incantation of a handful of metaphors whose splendors rest on their intonation."

Something electric ran up and down Aron's spine, and as fast as he could he ran to his local gallery and saw something that immediately caught his eye.

_{Stars willing, with your support, this art will be minted as an NFT for the first time in history. The Steemit community will be notified when it goes up for sale}

It would cost him 3 months pay before he could buy it and put it in his home. But when he did, he saw his life begin to change. His children became less rowdy. His wife cooked him more meals. When his buddies came over to socialize, they were impressed by his painting and tended to bring more expensive drinks to his place after they'd seen it.

Overall, his life improved greatly, and he was able to pass down the art to his children when he died. At the time of his funeral, it was worth 10 times more than what he'd originally paid.*

So let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

Why such a difference in the lives of these two men? Well, it's simple, really.

"The presence of good art will unconsciously refine a community, and ... poor art will do it incalculable harm."

-Robert Henri

1. More art = longer life. According to a study done by Harvard Medical School in 2017, "Creative activities [like buying and discussing art] can relieve stress, aid communication, and help arrest cognitive decline."

2. Happy walls = happy life. According to the Huffington Post, people that are surrounded by happy walls are: 20% more likely to be happy themselves.
   Even if you prefer grittier art, your mental appreciation of it will make you happier and, in the end, make your life better. And,

3. More art = better world. When you purchase art directly benefits artists, it encourages them to pursue their artistic processes, which, in essence, improves the lives for everyone. Artists provoke emotions, and emotions are the fuel to humans' thriving.

4. More art = more perspective When you collect art, it increases your global knowledge by expanding your horizons by up to 5% every time you collect art from a new artist

5. More art = better brain. Collecting art gives you the ability to pay attention to detail, which is a valuable trait to have when dealing with friends, family, and coworkers, or business associates.

For more information about becoming an art collector, start with the videos below, and if you would like a canvas print of the art above, let me know in the comments!

*_{accounts of events are a work of fiction .}