ELI5: What Is Expressionism?

Expressionism is a way of showing the world based on how it makes you feel inside, rather than how it actually looks on the outside.

Imagine you are drawing a picture of your bedroom. If you draw it like a camera takes a photo, you color the walls beige, make the bed straight, and put the lamp where it belongs. That is realism.

Now imagine you had a terrible, scary nightmare in that same room:

• The walls might feel like they are leaning in to squish you, so you draw them bent and crooked.


• The night might feel freezing and spooky, so you paint everything with wild, angry purple and sharp black lines.


• You do not care if the lamp is in the right spot; you just want people to look at the drawing and feel the same "spooky" feeling you felt.

You actually use Expressionism in everyday life all the time:

• The way you speak: When you stub your toe, you might scream, "My toe exploded!" It didn't really explode, but using dramatic words expresses the big burst of pain you felt.


• The way you dress: On a rainy day when you feel sad, you might wear a giant, dark, baggy sweater to feel hidden. On a sunny day when you feel hyper, you might pick neon socks and a bright shirt.


• Texting and emojis: When someone tells a hilarious joke, you don't just type a small smile. You send ten laughing-crying emojis with exploding hearts. You make the reaction extra-large to show the giant bubble of happiness in your chest.