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What’s in a name?

butweareartists.jpg?w=640&h=480  When people ask me what I do,  I answer “I am an artist”. Often times the response is ‘I would have guessed that. You seem like an artist.’ But I have always wondered what does an artist seem like? Is something more communicated in the words; “I am an artist?”  Is it an aura, attitude, feeling or a certain look that speaks out?

While an artist is defined as a person who practices one of the creative arts,  a performer of some type or maybe a person skilled at a particular task or occupation, I was sure there were preconceived ideas about being an artist.  I was interested in finding out.

(I happen to have been a painter for 25 years, and a fiber artist for the last five years.)

I decided while I was at the airport waiting to board a plane for the Thanksgiving holiday I would do a quick survey of 15 of my fellow passengers and ask  ”what words come into your mind if I say to you I am an  artist?”  I was not too surprised by their answers.

A few people wondered what kind of artist I was, and had no other thoughts enter their minds. But, the majority mentioned the following words :

Creative ( mentioned many times), with one woman getting a dreamy look in her eyes saying, “I wish I was creative.”   Associations like unemployed, a special breed, gifted, risk- taker, open- minded, free- spirited, right-brain, left- brain, admiration, edgy, a little kooky, a certain demeanor, and a distinct personal style were all mentioned.

But then I realized that what other people thought an artist was, although interesting, were answers to the wrong question. What I really wanted to know was what does being an artist mean TO ME.  What hidden meaning do I subscribe to being an artist?

After many hours of examining my thoughts  I came up with the following:

I tell myself I am an artist when:

1. I need to dig deeper for a creative solution to the problem at hand and that I have the ability to do so.

2. I am seeking permission to be okay with my critical nature regarding visual things.  I  have a strong desire to change and try improve how things appear. I tell myself this need  to create, to reinvent and to perfect is okay.

3. But sometimes I am just looking for an excuse- stereotypical it might be, for one of my antisocial, or quirky behavioral traits .

I guess I would sum up being an artist as having the license and the responsibility to ask What if…????????

I would love to hear what goes through YOUR mind when you say you are an artist. Please contribute and post your comments and thoughts.

 

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poor Nels

What happened? Did Nels take a picture of some guys painting hanging on a fence? Really? Let's organize a bunch of torch holding town "folk" and go chase him out of his castle. Where was the outrage when the 10 or 11th "art" photographer shot the same slot canyon? Once again...with feeling. The problem is not that Nels did this, any more than several of the "art" photographer's, when not totally ripping off good men like Ray Hartle, are out shooting statues and such. Once again my children...you are killing the goose by becoming a decorative market place...Instead of rising up like rabid dogs in opposition to the tape measure and swatch caca that prevails, it appears you jumped on a poor old guy for doing wrong...and maybe it was. The problem however, is not Nels. it is the constant pandering to the swatch/tape mentality. As long as fine art/craft biz is dictated to by decor there will be an ongoing march towards average.. Remember, if you can't make it good, make it big...and if you can't make it big, make it blue...or watever this years color is.. F..k it, who wants pie? . .

Generalisamo Hippie

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