What makes one an artist?

What makes one an artist? What qualifies one as an artist? We’ve been taught an artist is a person who creates art. So anyone compelled to create art is an artist? Hmmm! Let`s see!

Art is a an expression of self.

The artist, should he be a painter? A singer? An actor? A circus performer? Should he have a degree in Fine Arts? Should he have a solid formation in his field? After how many years should he be called an artist and not an apprentice? What about those who are self-taught?

What makes one a professional artist? A diploma in his field, a relevant work experience or earning 100% of his living from selling his own artworks? (Commitment and a following on social media will certainly help!)

By definition an artist does not fit in any definition. An artist is a a creative person that creates an artwork or a performance evoking an emotion, a state of mind. A person that thinks outside of the box, which is has no constraints and whose views are not shaped by the materialistic world we live in.

An artist is a dreamer, someone who tries relentlessly to pursue the impossible, reshape the boundaries of real and surreal, transgress with ease from one reality to another. Someone who can navigate throughout the universe without a map and reveal to others glimpses of his journey, of the world seen through his eyes.What makes you unique as an artist? Your view. Your statement.

Often we hear people label self-taught artists as a “sham”, “fake”, “scam” or even “lazy bums”, just because they did not go through the formal training and did not get a degree in Arts.

As a self-taught artist, I had to learn everything on my own. Let me tell you that it was grueling and time-consuming as I started from scratch. It involved a lot of trial, error and practice. The only guidance I had in the beginning was found online, on YouTube. Thank God for the Internet!

The lack of formal training had ups and downs but thanks to the support of my family and close friends, I was able to pursue my dreams. I am not making a living from my art (yet!) but I do get commissions and more visibility than before.

Without having a degree in Fine Arts, I managed to experiment with different mediums and try vary techniques. Also, I had the luxury of not getting caught in one of the professors` views, therefore, original and inhibited.

More than 90% of artists in the world are self-taught!

Does the name of Frida Khalo ring a bell? You don`t need to have a Bachelor in Arts to call yourself an artist, as long as your artwork speaks for itself.

Self-taught artist does not imply poor-quality work!!! The same way, using expensive art supplies, does not guarantee a masterpiece!

When you spend countless hours drawing, learning about the science of color, composition and studying world art history like traditionally trained artist have, you are an artist.

When your love for drawing and painting make you strife to create better art, to learn more about anything related to your passions, you are an artist.

As far as I know, art is a free form and there is no way to do wrong art. It may be that your artwork is not appealing to the general public, that is suited for a certain niche, but there is no wrong way to create art.

There are so many styles, techniques, mediums and trends in art, that even if you have studied Art, your curriculum would have not touched all of them.

Each one of us understands colour before the art lesson. When you seek to find the balance between the light and shadow in order to create the desired impact, you are an artist.

Nowadays, we are one click away from everything, we have access to webinars, online courses, tutorials, online internships and coaches – all that you need to know is available. Some of this information is free, while other may require some form of payment. Those who create and host the webinars, the tutorials are art teachers, professional artists and even people like you and me who have a passion for art.

You can learn from the Internet and books about the essentials: line, tone, colour, theory and then you can go explore what you have learnt.

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”. -Pablo Picasso

Whoever puts brush on canvas, chisel to stone or wood, hammer on metal, cuts paper or glass or any has any other creative endeavour is an artist, no doubt about that!

The creative experience is a journey for the artist. You never know where it takes, all you know is that you need to continue exploring it. Throughout time you will become more aware of your purpose and your artist statement will reflect your views.

Art has no boundaries and it has nothing to do with your background, finances, training, influences or knowledge. It`s all about those creative juices flowing through your mind and your ability of translating them through a medium, making them visible to others, creating a final product, an artwork that is capable of conveying an emotion.

It`s also about expressing your unique point of view on a certain topic or idea, the resources (or the lack of resources) at your disposal and how you manage to create that artwork which will make people take a step back and notice it, showing them the world in different light, then they previously did.

They won`t appreciate or buy your artwork based on your credentials! It has to speak to them, to convey a message, to touch and move them somehow in order for them to reach out for their wallets.

In a nutshell, if you feel the need to create, by all means do it! Practice everyday or as often as possible, do what you like and enjoy riding the creative wave.

Remember that you create art to feed your soul. More you create, better you become. Art is not a job, it`s a workshop for your soul!