Here is the only official New Year's resolution you will ever hear from me, art history fans:
Everyone who studies art history should make it a point to try creating art.
Why? So glad you asked. As someone who both creates and studies art, I can tell you knowledge of each enhances the other. Exponentially.
Take perennial favorite Leonardo, for example. Millions of words of analysis have been (and continue to be) written about this artist and his work. You can read, write and talk about him for the rest of your natural life. If you want to be acquainted on a physical level with that which Leonardo created, pick up a pencil and draw.
How about van Gogh? Everyone is familiar with Sunflowers, Starry Night and the whole Vincent-the-tortured-artist mystique. We love his art, but how did he do it? While I would never advocate drinking a lot of absinthe and sitting in the hot sun, you *can* learn how to stretch a canvas and paint with a palette knife.
Are you into pottery? Take a class, throw a pot. Make a mosaic. Carve wood. Batik is a kick, and so is calligraphy. Learn how to create a plate or screen for printmaking. Get cozy with your SLR or digital camera. The possibilities are endless.
It really doesn't matter which medium is of particular interest. It doesn't matter if you get the knack of things right away or not - any artist will tell you it takes an entire lifetime to "master" art. What matters is using others of your many intelligences beyond the linguistic -- specifically the parts of your brain that are spatially and bodily-kinesthetically oriented. In plain language: use your eyes and hands for art's sake.
Learn the process. Learn the techniques. Learn what it took to create those works you admire. Doing so sheds a whole new light on the artists you'll study.
