Art is an integral part of society, and has been around from the very beginning. Even as they still lived in caves, our ancestors covered the walls of their homes in drawings, some of which can still be seen today. Since that time art has evolved into a greater and more sophisticated being, and has produced such masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel, or Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. There are local masterpieces as well, such as Vernon’s downtown mural collection or Kelowna’s “Rhapsody” statue.

The realm of art has not been limited simply to paint or stone though. Since the advent of mass printing in the 1500’s writing has been maturing into an art. Ground breaking authors and poets such as James Joyce, Walter Whitman or even Dr. Seuss have pushed the limits of what people perceive literature to be. In the process, they have established a whole new form of art as well. Books as an art, however, has largely been limited to what is on the page, the words they contain and the feelings and emotions they inspire. The book itself however, has been delegated to simply a transportation medium, its quality determined by the economical
concerns of publishing. At the very least, it is not considered “art.”

But what is art? The great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche stated that “Art is the proper task of life.” In other words, that all life is art. And when you look out at the paintbrush views and sculpted landscapes that cover this region we live in, it is hard to deny he was right. At Okanagan Publishing House we strive to publish books as beautifully crafted as the region that inspired them. Our goal is to create books that not only contain art, but are art.

The is an old adage that says: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” The point of course is that unless people experience something it has no impact. This same principle can apply to your writing or illustrations. Regardless of your writing talent or artistic ability, unless your works are read or seen they can never have an impact on others lives. In today’s technological age there countless ways for people to share their creativity with the world. From social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to more sophisticated forms of online communication such as blogs or self-publishing, the possibilities are endless.

However, because everyone has the ability to publish their works, there is an overwhelming amount of material available to a reader. It is easy for a single voice to get lost in the shuffle. For an author to get noticed, they need to distinguish themselves from the crowd. One way to do this is by getting your work published, either traditionally with an physical book, or online with an e-book. Either way the experience and assistance of a publisher makes you, as a new author, stand out!