Who’s to say I am an Artist?

When do you become an artist? Other professions have very defined timelines as to when they can officially call themselves, teachers, doctors or engineers. Some other professions that tend to fall into the creative category are harder to well categorise.

Is it when you paint your first picture? Or when someone buys your artwork? Or when you have an exhibition? Or when your first book is published? Or when you upload your first song to Soundcloud? The list is endless and there is not a specific point that can be used as a universal marker for when the title is earned.

You get to decide what you call yourself. You choose what your parameters are before you would deem yourself a professional in your field. No one can decide for you. There is the idea that if you have trained academically in a field then thereafter you can go by the name of the field you trained in. Except you may have a degree in art and not be a practicing artist. I ended up with a degree in Sociology and then worked as an artist.

The lines can become quite blurry, but I think it is our decision that counts. What we do does not define who we are. Yet if having a label of artist or writer floats your boat then go right on ahead and declare yourself to be that. Either way you most likely already are or alternatively you may be aspiring to be and the title may just be the push you need to fulfil your declaration.

#art #motivation #inspiration #teaching #widsom #arteducation