Meaning (or Lack Thereof)

I often feel pressure to find deeper, hidden meaning in both my own work and the work of others, so it almost feels wrong to ask, what if the thing is just the thing? Why does it seem that the hidden meanings of art and writing are so valuable and when is it okay to not look beneath the surface? Deeper meanings seem so abstract to me and I find that I struggle to understand what I cannot explicitly see. If the meaning that I’m supposed to be finding isn’t actually there, I will become so frustrated in trying to find it. Can I just let it go?