Writer's Block: An Artist Is...

[packbat]

Do you consider yourself an artist? View other answers

An artist is someone who makes art. But what does it mean to be "someone who makes art"?

I can draw a picture from life. I can play the piano from sheet music. I can write, given a topic. In any of these cases, I may or may not be making 'art'.

On the other hand, I rarely feel the impulse to make art. I often feel the impulse to communicate - hence the blog - but communication, though it be creation of a sort, is not necessarily art, and I am certainly nothing like ursulav, cadhla, or kevinpease, whose muses will grab them by the metaphorical lapels and yell "create, create, create!" Or even like Seth, someone who just ... goes to work, automatically. Most of the time, if I produce art, I only produce art as a tool for other purposes.

So, I make art incidentally, not habitually. Does that make me an artist, or not?

Comments

[chanlemur.livejournal.com]

I did, yes. Put more eloquently than mine, I admit.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

True, but your specific point about inspiration was rather more informative to my own case. Also, "muse-dragged individuals" is a lovely construction.