This post was written in response to Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Prompt. This week it’s ‘Art’.
Art is ingrained in our essence, so we’re all artists. If you don’t believe me, read on for five minutes.
Art cannot be classified into neat little packages, or measured, or restricted. You can try, but it won’t work. There will always be someone who says: What if? Could this be? Let’s try this…
Art is infinite, unbound, immeasurable and inexhaustible.
Art is constantly developing and enlarging our perspectives and our universe.
Art is like water, it can appear in many different forms, shapes and sizes. It can be found on the surface, below the surface and in the sky. But it is always necessary for life.
It’s the wallpaper design on our wall, the priceless painting in a museum, the weathered and worn, ancient mosaic in an archaeological site, the T-shirt design the archaeologist is wearing, the funny picture on my mug, the photograph of The Kissing Sailor, the pebble design in my garden, the cover of my book, the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs, the latest erotic bestseller, the Shard, the Christmas stencil on my window…
In fact, if it’s controversial and people are discussing whether it’s good or bad, art or not, then it’s art. If people are looking at it and saying ‘Marvellous!’ or ‘Rubbish!’, it’s art too. If it’s a free sticker, or the Mona Lisa, it’s art, too. If it’s a private letter written by a WWII soldier at war, or a massive billboard add, it’s art too, because we’re all artists.
An artist is someone who wants/wanted to express something, show something, or provoke something, in someone else.
We need artists to create, express and discover art, but remember, I started saying we’re all artists.
Some artists copy or reflect what they see, exactly as they see it (which is always subjective and unique) or how they’d like people to see it (which is equally unique).
Other artists look beyond what they see and copy or reflect what they imagine or would like to see.
Many artists never knew they were artists, or don’t even consider themselves artists. That’s a pity, but it doesn’t matter, other artists/people will recognise their talent sooner or later anyway.
The artist will explore what could be…? what if…? Should I try…?
Even if you don’t want to be an artist, you’re an artist. You chose the style and colour of the clothes you wear, the images of the pictures on your walls, the design and colour of your car, your hairstyle, the flowers on your crockery, the starting screen image on your mobile, perhaps you like taking photographs or writing poems or short stories, or painting pictures, or doodling, they are all artistic expressions.
So, which one of you isn’t an artist?
Some of you will say, OK, perhaps I’m ‘a bit of’ an artist in an ample sense of the word, but to be a ‘real artist’ have to be a ‘good artist’.
Well, that’s another topic for another day, but I’ll just leave you with one question:
Who decides what’s good? Why not you and me? Does it even matter?
My grandson’s favourite pastime is painting on huge sheets of white paper in my garden. Here’s one of his stunning murals… He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s a real artist!
Check out some of the other posts here: https://lindaghill.com/category/stream-of-consciousness-saturday/
Happy weekend to all you budding artists out there!
Rereading Jane Eyre 
Great post. I like your take on being an artist. Very much like Julia Cameron’s “The Artists Way”. And thanks for stopping by my blog!
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Thank you, too! 💗
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