What is art? Art is a means for bringing imaginative intensity to life. It functions like the nighttime dreamwork that reworks the experiences of the day, revising them in the service of our desires or simply making sense of them by strengthening meaningful associations and eliminating meaningless ones. Visual art also enriches our lives by restoring the element of intense sensation that is drained from experience by reason and narrative. The meaningfulness and intensity of art compensate for the triviality and dullness of everyday life.