I'm definitely a person who believes that creating art and beauty has value to the world—creating these things makes the world a better place for those who live here. But I had a thought this morning that intrigued me: if we assume that creating art has value, do we also assume that the world must also be improved in some way simply by consuming art and appreciating beauty, even if you never create anything? More so than other activities that make one happier? I certainly feel that society is improved when people appreciate artwork, but I'm not sure that I can really articulate why.
Anyway, this is all a pretty good justification to spend 162 hours playing Skyrim. It's making the world a better place.