art·ist
–noun
I would rather proclaim myself an artist to others when I have more than ambition to show and tell. Maybe next year.
1. a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.
2.a person who practices one of the fine arts, esp. a painter or sculptor.
3.a person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc.: a commercial artist.
4. a person who works in one of the performing arts, as an actor, musician, or singer; a public performer: a mime artist; an artist of the dance.
5. a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill.
6. a person who is expert at trickery or deceit: He's an artist with cards.
7. Obsolete. an artisan
This weekend I had to proclaim myself an artist. DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT! I have thought about that for the last couple of days. Why the resistance? I mean, I have under other circumstances been willing to say that I am an artist. I looked up the definition of artist and that kinda answered the question for me. You can be an artist if you play with art stuff, work at art stuff,or excel at art stuff.
So, am I an artist?
1. Well, as my husband, budget, and home can attest, I play with art stuff so I am an artist in that sense.
This weekend I had to proclaim myself an artist. DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT! I have thought about that for the last couple of days. Why the resistance? I mean, I have under other circumstances been willing to say that I am an artist. I looked up the definition of artist and that kinda answered the question for me. You can be an artist if you play with art stuff, work at art stuff,or excel at art stuff.
So, am I an artist?
1. Well, as my husband, budget, and home can attest, I play with art stuff so I am an artist in that sense.
2. I do not make a living at art but I certainly do work hard at learning and practicing art--would that make me a student artist? I spend most my available hours (and many I should be doing laundry and housework) and many of my dream hours on producing or designing art. I am starting to produce a body of work.
3. As far as excelling, I do have a few pieces that I like well enough to say that I am an artist but the body of my work is still too small and my personal voice still too vague for me to claim that I excel with any conviction. I plan and prepare to be this type of artist but it is still a little in the future.
I think when others push you to proclaim yourself an artist they are looking at the term as one who does art type stuff. I want the term "artist" to mean more than an 18 month old with a crayon in her hand. I want it to mean more than someone who produces lots of art type stuff or spends lots of time doing art stuff. I want it to mean to excel, to have exceptional skill, to have worked at producing something with a unique voice.
I would rather proclaim myself an artist to others when I have more than ambition to show and tell. Maybe next year.
We probably need a range of words for artist if people are going to nit pick that one lonely word apart. Just as there are not enough variations for the word art. Frankly, life is to short. Yesterday, a friend, age 46 died. His cancer came back and the six months to live, he was given was shaved down to three.
ReplyDeleteYou create. You create from within some place inside you. What you create is uniquely yours. If you didn't trace it, claim some other's work as your own, you created it, it's art and you are the artist.
I have friends that roll their eyes when I use the word studio. Roll away. That's where I create is called. Once upon a time my studio was a corner of the dining room, now it's a separate space, from the house.
People may not like my art, they might say it is primitive, silly, childlike, lacking in technique but all those are their thoughts and opinions, not mine. If I made it and it makes me smile, it's a keeper. If I lose interest in it or find that I no longer like it, then I change it, paint over it. IT'S MY WORK, MY ART.
So, I say don't wait until next year. You assume you have another year. Proclaim yourself to be an artist now and then go create and forget about it. :)Grammybea
You do excel in CREATIVITY. As a matter of fact you blow me way. Playday would be diminished if you weren't there. You help me in my craetive process and you make incredible ART with a capital A. I'm so grateful you came into my life.
ReplyDeleteYou have been an artist for a long time, see definition 5. Many others have recognized that you are an artist (me included). I am glad you are feeling comfortable defining yourself that way. My beautiful cotton afghan is a piece of art that I proudly display and tell admirers how my friend, a fiber artist, took my needs and desires and made that wonderful, useful and beautiful work of art for me.
ReplyDelete