Artist

[elfy]

Many people in my life have told me I am an artist. My mother, my grandparents, teachers, classmates, friends, collegues, strangers

Comments

[majinaraparticl]

Well, probably you are very good at the creative work you already do, that you personally don't consider as actual art. I assume that if you'd have more time to do that, the way you perceive yourself would change.

[oloriel]

The discrepancy, I think, is simply because our definitions differ. (I also get told that I'm an artist.) In my case, I think an artist is someone -- not necessarily someone who makes big cash with their art, but certainly someone who goes public (offline!) with their art. Someone who puts paintings or sculptures or whatever in a gallery, who creates zines or at least has a proper art blog. Most importantly, someone who defines themselves through their art. Just making creative stuff, no matter how artistic and how often, doesn't make an artist - in my mind. Just as occasionally planting herbs doesn't make me a gardener, or occasionally sewing garb for LARP doesn't make me a tailor.

In my relatives' mind, on the other hand, anyone who can draw something at more detail than "stick figure", or who makes Christmas decorations themselves, is an artist. ;)

[wiziwui]

I tend to associate the term "artist" with people who think of themselves as something special because of their abilities and visions - which is not necessarily bad in my opinion, I just don't feel like I belong to that group of people. I feel like I'm just doing my job like everybody else, that's it. Doing what I do doesn't feel very special or unique and it probably could be done by a huge number of other people - although I'm aware that, of course, my way of doing things differs and makes me a unique creator. But I have a very practical view on these things and I don't like to make my art or my person look more special than they are.

[scriptophobie]

[pax_athena]

I had to think of this, too :)

(Partly because I also know how it is for me: every time somebody introduced me to an audience when I give a public talk, I cannot believe that they actually talk about me. Especially when it's for a public talk and they are using titles and calling me "scientist" and such ...)

[alexmc]

I think it is relative. People see you as so much more of an artist than them, or that you measure up to them. However, you maybe thinking you do most of your work manipulating and engineering art - with cameras or through computer based design tools.

You probably are also critical of yourself.