Our notions of visual art as a solitary activity come from several places. The first might be from the dawn of capitalism. Society revolves around individual success in a capitalist society. "Everyone is for them self" We are taught to make our own goals and to always work for our own interests. When looking at art as a individual activity, this context makes sense. It does not make sense when looking at it from a historical perspective. In the past arts and crafts involved the whole community (homemade textiles, quilting, public spaces, memorials, historical portraits). Today the artist is encouraged to show their own personal ideas as opposed to the ideas of the group. The stereo typical image of the artist is one who is cooped up in their studios working away without leaving for human contact for days.

I personally believe that an artist cant develop their ideas to their full potential without collaborating their ideas with others. Through engaging with others we have more inspiration and view points to refine our work. Collaborative works of art are fulfilling because you learn to be a flexible thinker, a team worker, and to be open to new and exciting ideas. Some of the limitations could be that personal ideas get lost and people who feel they aren't being heard become disengaged from the group. It can also be discouraging when not all group members are equally engaged in the activity. One less excited person can bring the whole group moral down. There is a delicate balance that must be achieved for collaboration to be positive. When this balance is found beautiful art can be created.