The One and Only Ivan Art and Creativity Quotes

Is Ivan saying that artists see things differently than others? Is art about the way we see things or the way we create things?

Art is a source of calm for Ivan, a way to get himself in the present and focus on the page.

Ivan must be very creative to conjure up this image. Is he looking to the past or imagining something that may not exist yet? Can you imagine yourself as you might have been in another time frame?