Hey Sharon, it’s funny how we find it easier to call ourselves “a painter” rather than “an artist.” Perhaps because there’s not so much baggage attached to the word “painter.” A while back, I when I was asked what I did for a living and I said “I’m a painter” they asked if I painted houses or commercial and how did I feel about being upon ladders and scaffolds!!! They couldn’t conceive that being “a painter” meant anything else. Sigh.

Thanks for your addition to the conversation and for pointing out how important it is to have a community of artists around you.

AND that art is a journey – we continue to grow and learn as we explore and challenge ourselves.

And that YES, we ALL have bad paintings, bad days, bad seasons!!

See you in France 😁🎉

Jan, I love hearing that this article was a timely article! Thank you for sharing your experiences and reflections on this topic. And I agree about how others may define what an artist is…to them…It’s an interesting conundrum!

Hi Len -thanks for your thoughts and your separation of hobby and professional.
And perhaps you can try calling yourself an artist in the wee hours of the morning.
Your passion and wanting to improve are all signs!!

Thanks Russ for sharing where you’re at with regard to this question.
My question to you: what are your standards and how will you know when you reach them?

Good question. I need to answer that. . . Thank you

Exactly! It’s good to know we are not alone, not by a long shot!!

You are so right Christine!! I love the idea that creative expression = artist. As you say, we think and see differently and yes, at our core, that is who we are.

It’s so funny how so many of us are in the same boat yet we think we are paddling alone. Thank you for the reply and the post!