"I'm not an actor.  But I have been on stage.
I would never take a job for no-pay.  And yet, I do months of work on a theatre project for nary a dime.
Occasionally, I get paid for my work in theatre.  It is a mere fraction of what it's worth.
Often, I screw it up royally. People still appreciate what I do.
Sometimes theatre stresses me out. I still love it.
Many of my theatre friends are more like family to me than my real family. And possibly know a lot more about me. And don't judge me.
I sweat, I bleed, I skip meals, I skip sleep, I forfeit fashion, I donate money, I raise money, I donate my photographic talents...   for theatre.
I laugh, I cry, I get angry, I yell, I fake orgasms...  for theatre.
Theatre has helped me be more confident, outgoing, and far less shy than I have ever been in my entire life.
Theatre is Art.
Art is my life."

Art affects my life in different ways, other than theatre.
One of my proudest purchases in my life is a tiny bit of original art bought at a fundraiser for a children's charity in Las Vegas, NV.  A "nobody" with a talent for landscapes, who was "somebody" enough to donate his work to raise money for that charity.
I've visited many an art gallery and witnessed first-hand original works of under-appreciated artists (in their life-time) like Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. Those visits rank among my most favorite tourist destinations and memories.
Once, while in Mexico, a man who makes his living off carving steel wood for sale to tourists thanked me sincerely for helping to feed his family through my purchase.
My own sister inspired me to read books on the Arthurian legends when she herself was cast in Camelot in high school. I have never been so proud of her, and so excited about reading and what may be loosely termed as "history," a subject which would have been otherwise rather blasé to me.