Am I an artist?
Lately I have been thinking about this question a lot.
Here are some signs that I think the answer is ‘yes’.
- Signs in school. Your 3D calculus teacher writes “Nice drawings!” by your test grade. You take colored pencils in for your Econ exam. Your high school class asks you to make the drawing for your senior T-shirt. (I went with a Where’s Waldo theme, featuring Bill Clinton, Calvin, Hobbes, KK, KE, and VH.)
- Friends and family indications. Your heart melts when as a teen your Dad buys you one of those super expensive (at the time) paintbrushes. In my case, the fan brush. (Thanks, Dad!) Your good friend asks your advice about paint colors for her beautiful new million dollar house.
- What you do. You are more inclined to act from your heart than your head. Or, as they say, you wear your heart on your sleeve. For example, you are compelled to see the Himalayas, just to know the vista, at the ripe age of 23. You move to Ireland because “it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.” You feel a little weird about your first solo art show. It’s kind of strange to be vulnerable like that. You prefer seeing a new art exhibit when no one else is around so you can really take in the work, rather than “be seen.” You feel more joy at the mention of the children’s book Harold & the Purple Crayon than the one other people had as kids, Goodnight Moon. (Thank you AH and EP!)
- What you can’t do. You can’t lie with a straight face. You just can’t do it.
- Your emotions have quite the range. You get irked when designers say, “I don’t consider myself an artist. I’m a designer.” You recall the feeling that a book or movie or person left you with more than characters or plot. You cry the first time you hear An Die Musik. You adore cinematographic beauty, like Before the Rain…
Love the post. This read gives us that thought of asking ourselves if we are really artists and even those who are not, can also contemplate of what their passions really are.
Rita,
Thank you for your comment! So insightful.
It’s interesting because often in our early interview sessions for branding projects, we find that what people’s passions are make the best frontier to explore how to highlight their edge in a brand identity design.
I’m glad you found our blog. Keep checking in!
I’ll try to write more posts about art, artists, self-expression and the philosophies that envelop them.