A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: How Art Can Impact a Relationship

According to the dictionary, intimacy is simply defined as being close with someone. It's not necessarily in a sexual nature, but a different kind of closeness. One that allowed two people to get to know each other in an intellectual manner where they can get closer through a shared interest. The best way to strengthen a new relationship was usually through shared hobbies, whether it was bowling, photography or dancing. Doing something together often allowed a new couple a different way to become comfortable with one another.

Let's face it. Not every relationship can start off as smoothly as they do in romantic comedies. Not possible. No one can edit out the awkward moments or grill their potential partners like Oprah Winfrey. That would be the fastest way to nip a budding romance pretty quickly. Here are three suggested avenues to build the proper amount of intimacy in a new relationship or restart one.

• Painting/Photography- Sometimes a relationship can form out of the most unexpected connections. Many aspiring artists learned their craft through classes where a live model would often bare themselves to everyone without fear. An equally rebellious artist could be just as bold and make the first move with the model. Just be careful with your motives if you're that artist, because it coul come back to bite you. In the movie Girl With a Pearl Earring, acclaimed painter Colin Firth developed a strong but taboo bond with servant girl/painting subject Scarlett Johansson. Their shared connection through his art allowed them to briefly forget that they were both out of each other's league. Another prime example of art sparking romance would in Closer, which had photographer Julia Roberts beginning an illicit affair with Jude Law that started when she took his picture. The connection was that instant and that destructive to both their relationships. A relationship can also form in these artistic arenas if both partners are artists themselves. They can inspire each other to be better in their work, but this can also lead to an unintentional competition that has wrecked many celebrity relationships in Hollywood.
• Sports- In some relationships, intimacy doesn't necessarily have to be in an artistic setting. Sometimes it can happen through a mutually loved interest in sports. An ideal example would be Kevin Costner helping Rene Russo perfect her swing in Tin Cup. Even though they mutually disliked each other, this action started to melt the ice between them and led to something more down the line. Usually, most relationships can start by working together on a work basis. A workplace romance that doesn't require sitting in a cubicle. In Pat and Mike, athlete extraordinaire Katharine Hepburn bonded and eventually fell in love with her manager Spencer Tracy as her career blossomed. They grew closer as their differing personalities seemed to work in their favor for the moment.
• Dancing- On Dancing With the Stars, professional dancers are paired with inexperienced celebrities. Audiences get to watch their favorites partners either progress or get voted off quickly. This show has been rumored to be more than a breeding ground for talented dancers. It also has led to multiple couples that eventually fizzled out once the show ended. Like The Bachelor, the relationship couldn't survive once the couples were off-camera. Dancing allowed two unlikely people to have to trust each other's instincts and always be mentally two steps ahead of the routine. It's not necessarily recommended to go to an overcrowded club to find a permanent dancing partner because it would be hard to even move during a club's peak hours. The best option would be to take a dance class or got to a smaller venue for a more privatized setting to test out your dancing skills.

In the end, intimacy doesn't always happen in a romantic, or even in an artistic, setting. The best way to become closer a potential partner would be to do what comes naturally to each other. Don't force things along or make a major production out of every date. Keep it simple and that should work in your favor. Going for a walk in the park allowed the option for execise and the opportunity to have an easygoing conversation to break the ice. Just relax and leave your idea of perfection at home, because the perfect moment is only in the eye of the beholder.