What an interesting question. And it's fascinating how hard it feels to own that identity.
Weirdly, because I share my art widely on social media, but only really talk about my publishing work now and then on LinkedIn, many people think of me as an illustrator or designer and not a project manager/editor/typesetter. And I almost always feel the need to correct them. To say 'Well. I've only illustrated a couple of books and a few cards and sold a bunch of patterns. Mostly I wrangle schedules, or throw words and pictures into PowerPoint templates. Mostly I don't earn my living from illustration or pattern design.'
But why? I mean it could be because I am ridiculously picky about Never Ever lying or risking being seen as a liar. But I do also think there is something specific about art that causes us to shy away from owning it as an identity. Maybe it's the very fact that it can be so much different things (an interest, a passion, but also a job, a career). Whereas working in publishing is just working in publishing (while there are a huge number of jobs - including designer and illustrator, of course - within publishing it's still specific and the fact that 80-90% of the invoices I send out are for publishing services and not for illustration is why I can't own it. Even though I would say I spend a similar amount of time, possibly even more on art (most of it not paid directly).
I like the idea that it's a conversation and that we need an audience to validate that identity. I wonder if that's why so many more people are (or seem to be) coming to art and illustration and design these days, because the internet, and especially social media, have given us an audience, and one that will give us an instantaneous reaction?
I think the massive audience thing is definitely a part of it but also our new ease of looking up to each other. Like before social media I only saw the work of artists in galleries or museums, maybe people’s walls. Now I have a window into every studio in the world and it’s massively inspiring. It has definitely opened up my ideas about what art is.
And I absolutely agree that there is something odd about owning the title of artist that just doesn’t come up with other professions. Maybe because we put it on a bit of a pedestal?
Ok first of all I love this post! Beautiful writing. Second, I’ve always taken being an artist for granted, never asked myself “am I an artist?” and since childhood adults have recognized this in me and validated this (I am lucky). When I say it aloud to peers or elders who don’t know me, that’s when the trouble starts. People are sometimes visibly offended or amused. They perceive it as arrogant. Many aren’t even aware that “artist” doesn’t refer to only to visual art, but is a way of life. So I don’t think the doubt comes entirely from within. Part of the problem is that there is intentional and contrived gatekeeping in the arts to drive sales. The Art World puts the artist on a pedestal so they can sell work at top dollar, and ensures a perception of scarcity and rarity. But it’s not. Artistic inclinations are part of human nature. People that don’t allow themselves to express those artistic urges can be viciously jealous of those that allow themselves to create freely and will put you down, subtly or not. It’s a tough world out there for artists.
It's so wonderful that you never questioned your right to that title!! Shows you were raised with a lot of love and respect I think. I agree that some people fight us on owning that title because they feel it should be some wildly exclusive thing. I guess there is that feeling that it's pretentiousness, trying to claim you are somehow super special. When, as you say, it's sort of the most natural thing in the world.... I guess if people were told since a young age 'stop that foolishness, go and do something useful, study and work hard, that's the only way to make something of yourself!!!' they can have very conflicted feelings seeing other people doing that free and creative and happy thing they also wanted but didn't get.
I used to be a craftsperson, then a photographer, then I drew with ink, now I'm a writer. Of these things only the ink drawing falls into the realm of 'fine art'. It was while I was doing my daily drawing project that I finally started self-describing as an artist. Once I started doing it, it felt weird until it felt natural. You have to fake it til you make it. ARTIST is a big, capacious word, it's also a true word: if you make art, you are an artist. Once I started self-describing as an artist, I noticed I was having the same conversations over and over. Basically, people were trying to find out if I was a REAL artist: that is, whether / how much I got paid. (Another thing that happened repeatedly: people expressing surprise that my work was good.) One reason I started saying I was a Wizard instead was that it made for more interesting conversations. Now I generally say I'm a writer, but my primary self-ID is artist. That's the only word big enough to hold all the things- the carrier-bag word.
So interesting! I make art solely for myself and the emotional catharsis it brings me to get it out of my head. When I start involving other people in it is when it starts to go sour. I make it because it is therapeutic to do. But also I had an art therapy background 🤪
That’s pretty fascinating actually. I think deep down all art is art therapy at some level hahah. What would you say is the key to art therapy helping people? Is it aiding them communicating with themselves in some way?
it funny because even the conversation aspect can take years. did Emily Dickinson think she was leaving poetry for future generations? was it a journal of some sort that once attempted to be published and pretty unsuccessful and so was destined to a file box? was it just a conversation with one other person, her sister in law, close friend, and some suggest love of her life, Sue? I mean, maybe. I write poetry that is, for the most part, a conversation with someone I've never met. (but I've written about 700 poems, some of them absolutely awful, I mean truly terrible, but I would still call myself a poet even as they sit in a file box on the floor of a storage unit.)
I wonder if the artist label is around finances. it sort of was for me at one point. the question, "are you published? do you have a show anywhere? are you in a gallery?" etc, etc. can make you feel like that's the legitimizing aspect of things when I think it's actually in the making that is legitimizing, no matter what happens to it. we grow up being told, quite literally, "yes, that's a good hobby, but you can't expect to make a living that way" and told it over and over again. is it any wonder that we start to ask if we're a real artist yet or not.
What an interesting question. And it's fascinating how hard it feels to own that identity.
Weirdly, because I share my art widely on social media, but only really talk about my publishing work now and then on LinkedIn, many people think of me as an illustrator or designer and not a project manager/editor/typesetter. And I almost always feel the need to correct them. To say 'Well. I've only illustrated a couple of books and a few cards and sold a bunch of patterns. Mostly I wrangle schedules, or throw words and pictures into PowerPoint templates. Mostly I don't earn my living from illustration or pattern design.'
But why? I mean it could be because I am ridiculously picky about Never Ever lying or risking being seen as a liar. But I do also think there is something specific about art that causes us to shy away from owning it as an identity. Maybe it's the very fact that it can be so much different things (an interest, a passion, but also a job, a career). Whereas working in publishing is just working in publishing (while there are a huge number of jobs - including designer and illustrator, of course - within publishing it's still specific and the fact that 80-90% of the invoices I send out are for publishing services and not for illustration is why I can't own it. Even though I would say I spend a similar amount of time, possibly even more on art (most of it not paid directly).
I like the idea that it's a conversation and that we need an audience to validate that identity. I wonder if that's why so many more people are (or seem to be) coming to art and illustration and design these days, because the internet, and especially social media, have given us an audience, and one that will give us an instantaneous reaction?
I think the massive audience thing is definitely a part of it but also our new ease of looking up to each other. Like before social media I only saw the work of artists in galleries or museums, maybe people’s walls. Now I have a window into every studio in the world and it’s massively inspiring. It has definitely opened up my ideas about what art is.
And I absolutely agree that there is something odd about owning the title of artist that just doesn’t come up with other professions. Maybe because we put it on a bit of a pedestal?
Ok first of all I love this post! Beautiful writing. Second, I’ve always taken being an artist for granted, never asked myself “am I an artist?” and since childhood adults have recognized this in me and validated this (I am lucky). When I say it aloud to peers or elders who don’t know me, that’s when the trouble starts. People are sometimes visibly offended or amused. They perceive it as arrogant. Many aren’t even aware that “artist” doesn’t refer to only to visual art, but is a way of life. So I don’t think the doubt comes entirely from within. Part of the problem is that there is intentional and contrived gatekeeping in the arts to drive sales. The Art World puts the artist on a pedestal so they can sell work at top dollar, and ensures a perception of scarcity and rarity. But it’s not. Artistic inclinations are part of human nature. People that don’t allow themselves to express those artistic urges can be viciously jealous of those that allow themselves to create freely and will put you down, subtly or not. It’s a tough world out there for artists.
It's so wonderful that you never questioned your right to that title!! Shows you were raised with a lot of love and respect I think. I agree that some people fight us on owning that title because they feel it should be some wildly exclusive thing. I guess there is that feeling that it's pretentiousness, trying to claim you are somehow super special. When, as you say, it's sort of the most natural thing in the world.... I guess if people were told since a young age 'stop that foolishness, go and do something useful, study and work hard, that's the only way to make something of yourself!!!' they can have very conflicted feelings seeing other people doing that free and creative and happy thing they also wanted but didn't get.
I used to be a craftsperson, then a photographer, then I drew with ink, now I'm a writer. Of these things only the ink drawing falls into the realm of 'fine art'. It was while I was doing my daily drawing project that I finally started self-describing as an artist. Once I started doing it, it felt weird until it felt natural. You have to fake it til you make it. ARTIST is a big, capacious word, it's also a true word: if you make art, you are an artist. Once I started self-describing as an artist, I noticed I was having the same conversations over and over. Basically, people were trying to find out if I was a REAL artist: that is, whether / how much I got paid. (Another thing that happened repeatedly: people expressing surprise that my work was good.) One reason I started saying I was a Wizard instead was that it made for more interesting conversations. Now I generally say I'm a writer, but my primary self-ID is artist. That's the only word big enough to hold all the things- the carrier-bag word.
So interesting! I make art solely for myself and the emotional catharsis it brings me to get it out of my head. When I start involving other people in it is when it starts to go sour. I make it because it is therapeutic to do. But also I had an art therapy background 🤪
That’s pretty fascinating actually. I think deep down all art is art therapy at some level hahah. What would you say is the key to art therapy helping people? Is it aiding them communicating with themselves in some way?
it funny because even the conversation aspect can take years. did Emily Dickinson think she was leaving poetry for future generations? was it a journal of some sort that once attempted to be published and pretty unsuccessful and so was destined to a file box? was it just a conversation with one other person, her sister in law, close friend, and some suggest love of her life, Sue? I mean, maybe. I write poetry that is, for the most part, a conversation with someone I've never met. (but I've written about 700 poems, some of them absolutely awful, I mean truly terrible, but I would still call myself a poet even as they sit in a file box on the floor of a storage unit.)
I wonder if the artist label is around finances. it sort of was for me at one point. the question, "are you published? do you have a show anywhere? are you in a gallery?" etc, etc. can make you feel like that's the legitimizing aspect of things when I think it's actually in the making that is legitimizing, no matter what happens to it. we grow up being told, quite literally, "yes, that's a good hobby, but you can't expect to make a living that way" and told it over and over again. is it any wonder that we start to ask if we're a real artist yet or not.