That's actually my issue, is "joy" the only thing art can offer? I feel like focusing on art as escapism only validates it's already spotty social status.

Yeah this is the kind of thing I am trying to learn, how do people do this?

No favorite writer, and my current read is method meets art: art based research practice third edition from Patricia Leavy

Yeah it's definitely challenging cause it's not obvious there is a "way out" either maybe we should be critical of beauty as a whole