In the same vein, American writer Thomas Merton said ''art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time'' and French artist Claude Monet believed: ''It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.''
German composer Robert Schumann said ''to send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist'', and American actress Stella Adler's many musings included: ''Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.''
There is no shortage of uplifting words about the importance of the arts in seeking to explain, explore and challenge the human condition.
The significance of the arts has been evident from our very beginnings, with prehistoric Aboriginal art and European cave paintings, to each subsequent period of human civilisation, where various elements of the arts - visual arts, performing arts, music, oral and physical literature, have been central.
Sometimes the arts and artists have been celebrated, worshipped and promoted; sometimes their messages have been manipulated or repressed.
Among many similar quotes about the arts is one from French artist Henri Matisse, that ''creativity takes courage''.
In past periods, this was absolutely the case, and could literally mean life or death for those flying in the face of a brutal regime or ideology.
Even without such external threats, artists need courage to combat their inner demons - perfectionism, self-doubt and fears of exposing themselves to ridicule, criticism or misunderstanding - not to mention the ever-present problem of how to earn a living which enables them to dedicate themselves to their craft.
Visionaries, patrons and sympathetic audiences and officials have always been vital to artistic survival. It is pleasing to see, then, that all elements combined and Dunedin well and truly ''came to the party'' for Arts Festival Dunedin (formerly the Otago Festival of the Arts), which concluded on Sunday.
It was an event-packed 10 days of eclectic, entertaining, thought-provoking, challenging and moving performances and presentations across a range of mediums and cultures, celebrating the work of many local artists, as well as those from elsewhere in New Zealand and the world.
Diversity was key, with circus, dance, music, theatre, literature and the visual arts celebrated.
Opera Otago's world premiere season of Dunedin composer Anthony Ritchie's This Other Eden offered a fitting start on day one of the festival, and the South Island premiere of the massed musical performance of Requiem for the Fallen, which commemorates the centenary of World War 1, with words by Poet Laureate Vincent O'Sullivan, of Dunedin, offered an emotional and fitting conclusion on Sunday.
An inspired inclusion was the Vogel St street party on Saturday, which attracted about 5000 people to view the first stage of the warehouse precinct development, and showcased the grandeur of the city's heritage buildings and highlighted the work of street artists and performers.
Various workshops, shows and building tours were fully booked, with Dunedin City Council acting urban design team leader Dr Glen Hazelton saying ''we could have sold them out thousands of times''.
That sort of reaction is music to the ears.
It appears most festival events were well-supported, and returned festival director Nicholas McBryde is confident in the future of the biennial festival and the financial success of the 2014 event.
That is of course critical, after the difficulties of the 2012 festival, with which he was not involved.
The festival board, technicians, volunteers, venue owners and operators, performers and audiences should be commended for their parts in contributing to the success of the festival.
It proves how important vision, courage and collaboration are in creating a vibrant city and ensuring the survival of arts in our lives.
