I am an Artist

I am an Artist! Wow!! It’s been forever to be able to state that I am an artist. Over the years, people recognized some talent, but I never considered myself an artist. What makes an artist an artist? Is it that they publish? Sell? Have a following? I think it is when the artist believes they are an artist. Yes, I’m a person with talents. I sew/tailor, crochet, play a concert flute and a Native American flute, paint, silversmith, potter, sing and others. However, I feel I can call myself an artist now because I feel, in painting, that my talent has grown enough that I can create my own take on ideas, even if I’m taking a class or using somebody’s pattern. I have enough confidence to put my “spin” on the painting. Does this make sense?

Talent is something we learn. It comes easy for some. I learned in high school, that if you don’t at least try something, you might never know what you are capable of accomplishing. I also suppose that some talent is a natural thing, such as being able to carry a tune. But, can carrying a tune also be learned? I learned in grade school to read music. Trust me though, I am not a great singer or flutist. I simply never practiced hard enough. Painting can be learned. There are many technical aspects to painting that if participating in those lessons, one can technically learn to paint. I think painting also takes intuition to know what colors to use, when to “stop”, when a painting might need more. I have not had a lot of technical training in painting, but with the little I have and with my intuition, I am fairly happy with what I have accomplished. I have more to learn and as long as my brain and hands continue to work, I will accomplish more. This is a journey. /per