Am I An Artist?
Updated: Mar 14, 2019

One question I come across a lot, is the one of - when can I really say that I am,
‘Truly an artist?’ What is the definition of an artist anyway. If I go to the dictionary, it will tell me, (thank you dictionary.com)
1. A person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.
2. A person who practices one of the fine arts, especially a painter or sculptor.
3. A person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc.
Now, given these definitions, any of my students could qualify as an artist, couldn’t they?
What is that invisible line that I must cross before I’m good enough to stand up and declare that I am an artist? And most of my students don't think of themselves as artists. What signposts are there along the way to tell me where I am on that journey?
Well, sadly, there are no official markers that you can rely on to guide you.
• Some people might say that once you’ve had your first Solo Show that you qualify to call yourself an artist.
• Others might say you can’t really consider yourself a serious artist until you are making all your income from the sales of your paintings. In that case there would only be a handful of 'real artists' on the planet!
• Or, that you must be represented by a bricks and mortar gallery.
• Perhaps it requires that you’ve been painting for x number of years.