Writers write.

Painters paint.

Cooks cook.

Polo players play polo.

We are what we do.

Being an artist doesn’t mean you have to justify whether or not you’re an artist.

Just make art and you’ll be an artist.

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Okay, so what is art?

That’s a big question and it doesn’t have a universally agreed upon answer. So you get to decide for yourself what it is. (Which means that not everyone will agree with you, but whatever).

And if you can’t decide what Art is, maybe you don’t need to worry about what an Artist is. Just don’t think about it so much and do your thing instead.

Focus on being a painter (i.e someone who paints). Or a watercolorist (someone who watercolors). Or a sculptor (Etc.). Or a draw-er.

(Aside: Why is there no proper word for someone who draws (Draughtperson? Sketcher?) — do we really have to use “draw-er,”a word that also means the place you keep the trash bags and the oven mitt?)

Be what you do.

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Better yet, forget your job title altogether, and spend your energy on making stuff — rather than on what it will be called once you’ve made it.

I say this because too many people conflate activity and identity. They worry about the noun rather than the verb.

And the verb is much more useful.

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If you get up in the morning and say “I’m an artist” okay, then what? Put on a beret and sign some autographs? Meh.

But if you leap out of bed and say, “I’m going to make some art today,” you’re going to get somewhere.

You’re going to fill canvases and sketchbooks with stuff — some good, some bad — and one day someone else will say, “Wow, you’re an Artist.”

And you’ll say “I guess so. Thanks,” and then you’ll get right back to doing.

Your pal,

Danny

P.S. Last week, I wrote about Vincent van Gogh and received many replies to my essay. A lot of people wrote to say they'd never stopped to think about all the things they and others haven't created and were newly motivated to get back to work. Like Mary who wrote to say she was moved to submit nine poems for publication. Need more motivation? Adam Westbrook shared an amazingly smart video he made about van Gogh. I highly recommend it.