I don't think it really matters what everyone else says. If they believe they are an artist, that's all fine and dandy, but the rest of us know they aren't.
Being an Artist/Writer/Actor/etc. requires you to earn the title before you can go flaunt it around. Unless you are successful, unless you are making a solid living, unless you have been influential, unless you have made some sort of impact, etc. etc. you can't just call yourself something you're not.
A person going through Med School doesn't go around saying they are a doctor, they have to get the degree, get certified, get a job, and actually be doing it.
I'd be lying if I said I was a writer, because I'm not. Just like those people calling themselves an artist. They have to realistically look at themselves and say...hmm. Does drawing anime make me an artist?
Let's look at a definition here straight from the dictionary...
Artist
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, esp. a painter or sculptor.
3. a person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc.: a commercial artist.
4. a person who works in one of the performing arts, as an actor, musician, or singer; a public performer: a mime artist; an artist of the dance.
5. a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill. (This is you Trung. XD And you're definitely dabbling in a few of the other numbers aren't you?)
In order to be called an 'artist' you HAVE to be actually striving for something much higher.
If you want to be an artist you have to be actively improving your skill, expanding your knowledge, developing a successful trade, and generally doing what is right by the established fine arts. So many people just call themselves an 'artist' and well, they're done. How do you grow off of that? If you think you are there, how can you feel like you've reached a higher point? I think it's sort of like lying to yourself, being lazy, or just not trying hard enough.
Isn't it terribly insulting to great people like Da Vinci, Michael Angelo, etc. that anyone who does something as doodle chibis label themselves an 'artist'? They put themselves in the same category as these people, and that's just not fair. They haven't put in the necessary work for it, it's just wrong.
Same for people who write. If I even THOUGHT of calling myself a writer, I'd slap myself silly. Nothing I do can even constitute being anything close to heralding such a title. I don't deserve it, and won't for a looong time. I have to reach it.
It's not even about being too critical on myself or fishing for compliments or whatever nonsense people will use to defend, it's simply being REALISTIC.
I'm just getting tired of people watering down something that has always been such a prestigious talent.
Sure, in a perfect world filled with sunshine and smiling rainbows and happy bunnies and in a high pitched giddy voice someone shouts from the heavens, "Everyone is a writer! Everyone is an artist! Anyone who can express themselves can be called this, EVERYONE."
It's just simply not true, even though people so readily believe this.
It's nice to think that everyone has something special in them isn't it?
It makes us feel good about ourselves, it makes us feel important, it makes us feel special.
We've literally grown up in a society where everyone is told they have potential and they can do whatever their little heart wishes...
But come on.
The real world has never worked this way, and unfortunately, by allowing everyone to think they are something that they are not, they are setting themselves up for failure.
Unfortunately, about half of the people on DeviantArt aren't going to get any farther than that, and yet they will still steal a term of endearment that does not rightfully belong to them.
They didn't spend the time studying.
They didn't spend the time improving.
They didn't spend the time taking the risks, putting themselves out there, and making a life out of it.
Nope, because "Expressing myself" is all I need to do. Because that's what everyone is going to tell me, because art is easy, writing is easy, and everyone is so god damn special that we all can be called whatever we want.
Well my 4 year old second cousin colored a picture of Peter Pan, didn't keep in the lines, smudged it, and ripped it up. Sure, this is a valid form of expression.
But would you buy it?
Does this impress you?
Will this influence other pieces?
Will this be studied, discussed, analyzed, and revered for a long time?
Are they an artist?
I'm sorry for my extremely narrow-minded view, and I hope I haven't offended, or caused you to disagree with me in anyway, but I like to take these things a bit seriously, and if people aren't going to work at something that needs to be earned, I get a bit testy.
This was definitely a rant, and I'm sure I have not stated my opinions intelligibly, and I feel like I still didn't get my point across perfectly.
Again, I apologize if you don't agree.
Now I'm kind of worried, because I got a bit heated here. =/
Anyways, for the record, I believe you have great potential to be an artist Trung. ;)
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I could write an entire rant supporting this one but i'll keep it short, promise.
ReplyDeleteSmall things drive me insane and its odd but I have a kind of OCD about phrasing, with such things like "You can be anything you want to be." Saying things like this is a mistake, now the phrase, "You can work towards being anything you want to be." Is more accurate and removes that pesky problem of letting kids think that all they need to do is WANT SOMETHING for it to come true.
I wont go on but to say that I love rants more than the many uses of oxygen and this one is no exception.
- Anthony
P.S. Any "rant" that cites dictionary entries is more intelligible than it has any right to be. :)
Thank you so much for this note, Sophie!
ReplyDeleteToo often have there been people who are quick to label themselves in such a way and allow for cognitive dissonance to take over. It's a lot easier to fool yourself into thinking you're something other than yourself, and almost everybody buys it.
I hate that some brainless shmuck and waltz in off the street with a funnily shaped rock, give it a fancy title, and call himself an artist.
Art is beginning to lose its meaning as the profession starts to lose its emphasis on craft. And great craftsmanship is not supposed to be easy...
I think your whole rant is justified. Our generation goes out of its way to be individualistic without realizing that everyone feels the same and does the same things to achieve that same end of uniqueness.
Uniqueness means so little anymore because it's no longer unusual to be unusual. Everybody tries to do it.