Becoming an Artist
What is an artist? Why do we make art? What does art mean to you? Why does art matter? Is art important? … I’ve asked myself all of these questions and observed others reactions to them. The answers vary depending on who you ask as most things do. Even if the person is an artist the answers might come as a surprise. I found most have an answer they think is the “right” but they don’t truly believe. Such as, “do what makes you happy”, while they trudge every day to a job they can’t stand. When asked if you should pursue your art, they say yes... as long as you have something else going for you as well. As if it is not good enough to be just an artist.
I feel that in todays society art is looked down upon as a side hustle, or something people do if they are a kid or retired. A luxury that can be fun if you do not have a full time job or thigs to take care of. Definitely not something you can do if you are trying to survive. Maybe not even something you want to do, because you feel you are no good at it and “can’t even draw a stick figure”.
I do not think so. I believe there is a creative spark within us all. Art is immeasurable. The meaning of art to those who create it is immeasurable.
I was stuck in the trap of deciding what I wanted to do with my life. Being asked all the time “what are you going to study in college” and receiving a lot of “advice”. Of course I pondered on jobs such as an engineer or lawyer. On the backburner was the idea of a graphic designer. Each time I leaned toward the “artsy” path though, I was dissuaded by others who knew better. There was no secure future if you take the art rout. I had been a sort of Jack of all traits I suppose you could say in school. I was pretty good at everything so there was nothing I totally needed to avoid because I had no talent in it whatsoever. But I did not particularly accel and anything but art. I thought to myself “why did I have to get stuck with such a useless talent as art”.
The problem was not with me however. It was with the way I let society tell me what is important. We have plenty of people naturally drawn to math, we do not need someone naturally skilled in composition to crunch numbers all day. What a waste! Each of us was given talents and fascinations with just the right things for us. It is when we shove those things down that we get lost and take the wrong path. Pursuing your dream is never the wrong path. We are not here to be put into boxes by society as soon as we enter school and be pushed to decide how we are going to make money from the age of 10.
In my first year of college, I was taking Trigonometry, and we reached the chapter of proofs. I had been sketching an inktober that morning at the beginning of class. When the lecture began, the professor explained that proofs were a challenge for many students and that was where we would find out “who our art majors are”. I felt like this perfectly described societies judgment of the artist. Yes, it can be worthwhile and prestigious, but you aren’t as capable as your peers if you choose to spend your time creating. Getting an art degree is something easy to fall back on if you can’t make it in the STEM world. You aren’t as smart, as successful, or as useful to the rest of society as those who study math and science heavy degrees.
We forget art perpetuates culture. On a personal level it is wellbeing. Our society is nothing more than the individuals who make it up after all. I do not think the artist child should be swayed away from their gifts. They spent as much time dedicated to their skill as the mathematician spent solving problems. Not to mention the problem solving that goes into the arts. I am most familiar with the fine arts, but I find half the time of me creating is staring at the paper thinking. Artists have some of the best problem solving skills and are very resourceful. I have met a few people who spent years as engineers just to realize they would really rather be artists. Imagine if they were taught the skills of an artist and encouraged to follow this passion since they were young.
An artist is someone who pushes the boundaries, learns the laws of nature, and uses them to their advantage, explores themselves courageously, and never stops learning. We make art as an extension of our experience of the world. We make it to explore the world, capture moments, to witness wonders, learn about ourselves, and experience more of what we love. I think we should ask ourselves every once in a while what art means to us. To me, art is a form of meditation, where I can learn and let go. To others art might mean appreciating the little things/ beauty of the world. Art matters because it brings the makers and viewers into the present moment, and captures culture in a record that can be reflected upon/ enjoyed far into the future.
Is art important? Yes. To me it most defiantly is.
