Art as a Social Good: The Tangible Return on Investing in Our Creative Soul

For every 1 Euro invested in the pilot, artists returned 1.39 Euros in value to the Irish economy and society—these were the results found in an experiment the Irish government ran from 2021 to 2025, where 2000 artists were chosen to be part of the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot. That is a 39% return on investment, not in the volatile stock market, but in the wellbeing of our communities and the vitality of our culture. This reveals a conviction that most artists hold, which is to create art not only for simple enjoyment, but to transform lives and strengthen community bonds. Because just as financial literacy is a proven tool for breaking cycles of poverty, investing in artistic capacity is a proven strategy for building healthier, more connected, and more resilient societies.

This is exactly why when I started getting the hang of drawing digitally, I decided I would achieve two goals: create art for the soul, and art for a social cause. Since then, I have raised more than USD 8,000 through selling my digital art (printed physically on canvas), donating all proceeds to local charities. Most significantly, I have donated to:

• ImpactHK’s mission is to build an inclusive Hong Kong where everyone has a home, achieved by working with people experiencing homelessness to provide holistic support for settling into safe housing, restoring well-being (mental/physical), boosting self-esteem, and building social connections.

• Lifeline Express’ mission is to bring the gift of sight to underprivileged cataract patients in Mainland China and beyond (Belt & Road countries) by providing free eye surgeries and establishing training centers, restoring vision, improving livelihoods, and training local doctors to combat blindness.

• Mother's Choice's mission is to give hope and change life stories by joining hands with the community to provide loving support for pregnant teenagers and children without families, working towards their vision of every child in a loving family through services like crisis pregnancy support, adoption, and community-based family strengthening.

Since then, I have also been, with the support of UNESCO and Learning Planet Institute, invited to join the Community Arts Network (CAN), a space for artists across the globe who work to create art for meaningful social impact, as a youth artist. The invitation was for the Digital Art series under the Alexei pseudonym.

Creating art for impact also means creating art that resonates with people, relating to their stories and communities, or perhaps just mundane day-to-day life. One of my bestsellers is the piece below, titled “Contemplation”. It features a young man during golden hour, basked in a gentle orange glow from the sunlight. His eyes are closed, deep in thought, evoking a serene and peaceful quality about him; a symbolic white betta fish representing new beginnings floats around him. This piece aims to reflect on how amidst busy everyday life, we often forget to slow down and appreciate the small things that happen, such as seeing flowers grow out of cracks in concrete, or moths quietly resting on outer windows. Sometimes, all we need to do is slow down and have a moment to ourselves.

Here is another piece from my portfolio:

However, my personal favourite is the art piece below. It features four angels surrounding a glowing heart. Having received a commission from my local church to create a large-scale piece for their cafe’s walls, I decided to create a piece that emanates warmth and love. This is achieved by using warm tones such as pinks and oranges, as well as softening edges to create a dreamy effect. When giving a short speech regarding my inspiration for this piece in the cafe, a customer asked, “You haven’t told us the name of this piece yet.” And I froze. Because, truth be told, I hadn’t thought of a name for this piece. Personally, I do not think any combination of words or phrases can express the idea of love. Love can be platonic, romantic, between friends or family, for pets or objects…the list goes on. Consequently, I’ve decided to leave this piece untitled. Since putting my piece up in the cafe, a once blank space has been transformed into a dynamic ecosystem where the elderly and young adults alike drink coffee and tea in, initially intrigued by the giant painting on the wall but returning to chat with new friends.

The data may prove that art as an economic good is a sound investment for society. But, to me, the true return on investment has always been immeasurable, as seen in: the sight restored, the hope given, the community strengthened. The enduring value of the creative soul is that it heals, connects and transforms, one brushstroke at a time. Unlike the stereotyped view of artists as people who work alone, creating for impact has taught me that art is not a solitary pursuit, but rather a bridge, connecting our deepest expressions to the world’s most pressing needs. Creativity is one of our most powerful tools for change, and it’s a tool that everyone has.

Thank you to CAN and other global arts organizations for continuing to provide a safe and sound space for young artists such as myself to artfully flourish. 

To reach out, I can be contacted via CAN per the information below: