Why We Sprite?

[Nindo]

It seems as if many people want to shred away pixel art's kind of soul-improving characteristic, much like any other art-form has. Sometimes art is not done for fun, nor for any foreseeable practical use, nor to portray any sort of message, and not even to pigeon-hole oneself in simply improving oneself in an art-form, but as a way of improving oneself in a metaphysical sense. I, for one, am of this opinion. Why in the world would we even tag on the word "Art" to Pixel, if we did not in some way figure that we would be setting up the foundation for pixels to become something more than just a utilitarianist's tool? If we are going to abandon this reasoning as a community, then we should at least have the decency to remove "Art" from Pixel, so that we don't further confuse the current and future patrons of the site.

Please don't misunderstand me here. Practicing this art-form for fun, practicality's sake, or to improve in the art-form are all valiant goals in themselves, but if we forget and/or destroy the inherent foundation of this practice as "Art" then we are doing a great disservice to Pixel Art.