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In Defense of Escapism: When Art Becomes Refuge

In Defense of Escapism: When Art Becomes Refuge

Last updated on: May 12, 2026 at 3:25 pm by Nathan Clarkson

In Defense of Escapism: When Art Becomes Refuge 2026-05-12T15:25:59-07:00 Nathan Clarkson

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Escapism has become a regular part of modern life, particularly in the form of entertainment and art. | Photo by Nothing Ahead via Pexels

In Defense of Escapist Art

There are numerous reasons us humans are drawn to art in all its forms. We often approach it because of the beauty it will bring to our lives. Sometimes for the catharsis it offers when going through difficult times. Sometimes we are drawn to art for the inspiration it will breathe into our spirits, or the wisdom it can speak into our minds. But sometimes, we go to art to escape.

Not long ago, I was dealing with a persistent and uncomfortable medical issue. One that affected every minute of every day. The medication I was given took a week to take effect, so I was left to sit in my discomfort and pain and just… wait. To pass the time of sitting in agony, at first, I tried to work, read a good book, study — but I quickly failed at all of these tasks, possessing no focus, as all my mental energy was taken up with the extreme discomfort and pain I was enduring. So, with a defeated sigh, I gave in and flipped on the TV and began binging silly, fun, escapist TV shows, interrupted only by playing hours of video games. And suddenly, episode by episode, level by level, the hours of agony began to feel shorter, until suddenly one day, I was on the other side of my struggle, and I had escapist TV and video games to thank. This reminded me of another recent time just a few years ago in 2020, when I and the rest of the world was stuck in lockdown, cut off from the outside and left only to ‘doom-scroll’ upsetting news, headlines, and social media comment wars. As I sat inside scrolling, locked away from the people, places, and activities I loved, there came a moment when I could no longer take the nonstop river of angst on my social media and news sites. So I turned off my phone and picked up a pulpy, page-turning mystery novel — whose pages suddenly offered me escape from my crazy circumstances and ushered me through some of the most uncertain and chaotic weeks of my life.

Why Escapism in Art Matters More Than We Admit

Escapism has become a regular part of modern life, particularly in the form of entertainment and art. Many of us, after chaotic days at work, long days at home, or just the general distress of living in a broken world, find ourselves turning to artistic mediums to find some hours of relief in our spare time. Whether it’s binging multiple episodes of a hit streaming series, turning on an old comfort movie, getting lost exploring a fantastic, digitally rendered video game world, or leafing through the pages of a pulpy novel, we each feel the pull to disappear into something that offers us a bit of respite from the stresses in our everyday lives.

Is Escapist Entertainment Shallow—or Deeply Necessary?

And while this phenomenon of escapism is a universal concept, it seems to also be a controversial one. In numerous recent articles written for major outlets, online film/book/game reviews, and personal conversations in my own life, the word “escapism” is said with a muttered disdain, used less as a descriptor and instead as an insult. It’s become synonymous with shallow, cheap, and low quality art, and carries with it the subtle insinuation that art labeled “escapist” is only for less intelligent people and should be avoided altogether. But are they right? Is escapist entertainment something to be avoided? Is escapism wrong? If so, why

We live in the age of activist-art and statement-creativity; there is a social pressure on artists and audiences alike to create and engage only with art that “says something” about a relevant social issue, or makes a statement on something important. This is a great function of art — its ability to address real and difficult issues. But it’s not the only purpose of art. While art can teach, inspire, exhort, and instigate, it also has the ability to comfort, protect, entertain, and bring joy. Often the former is revered by public intellectuals and given awards by prestigious institutions, while the latter is often loved by hurting and struggling individuals.

The Emotional and Spiritual Value of Escapist Stories

God portrays himself as someone who teaches, guides, inspires, and leads. But God also uses language to describe himself as a comforter, refuge, sanctuary, an escape. A huge portion of the Psalms in the bible are the author petitioning god for protection and escape. One of my favorite songs from my youth was one titled “Be My Escape” by Christian rock band Relient K, where the song serves as a prayer to God from the singer who asks him to “Be [his] escape.” The great author of The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien, once said:

“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape? If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”

I was diagnosed with severe mental illness at a young age and have battled that darkness my entire life. And as much as I’d like to say I’ve always faced it with a heroic and stoic face, often my battle with mental illness has overtaken me to the point where I needed shelter from the weight of its oppression. And one of the ways I found refuge was watching, reading, and playing happy, even silly, things — cartoons, video games, pulpy books. Many would call my line-up of entertainment “shallow,” “dumb,” or “escapist,” and the thing is, I would agree with them. I’d just also add “life-saving” to their list of descriptors.

I’m not advocating for creating only shallow, silly art, or even justifying poor artistic appetites, but I am attempting to widen our perspective of art to see the value of the escapism, refuge, and protection it offers. Needing escape is not something to be ashamed or fearful of. Rather, it’s one of the most common human experiences that we all will go through. And art was created by God to serve as a mechanism that can help us find temporary escape from the ugly, fractured, and dark things of this world, to maybe — just maybe — be able to confront them better. So pick up that pulpy novel, play that fantasy video game, or watch an episode of a bingeable show; it might just save you.

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