What is Art? Who is an Artist?

These are questions I've struggled with all of my life. (They come under the big question category–who am I?)  I've always known I wanted to be an artist. I thought of "being an artist " as if it was a career choice.  I thought getting a degree, or painting and selling a certain number of paintings, or being recognized by the press at some level, or winning awards would finally allow me to achieve the status of artist. But then I realized, through all this searching and the passing of many many years, that I am, and always have been, an artist. Being an artist for most people is not a career. (that is most of us cannot support ourselves through art making alone) It is a type. I've now become comfortable calling myself, as well as most of the people I know (I am drawn mostly to other creative types) "artist". But I still ask questions. (it's a part of being creative)Today I ask, "What kind of an Artist am I?"

A big part of the art world is linking individual artists to their niches or style. Galleries count on the artist to produce something "in their style" so they know how to market the art. Collectors too want to know and recognize their favorite artist by their style. So us artists are all drawn into this goal of coming up with "our style".

I had a little show in a church, when I got out of school (of mostly my school work) and during the reception a woman came up to me and said, "This work looks like a group show of many artists." That was a real eye opener for me. I began to try to work more in series after that. i was, and am today, in search of my style. My Niche. As an artist, who am I?

As I meet more and more artists–creative types–I realize that the types of artists are as diverse as the types of people. We all have our own goals and challenges and reasons for doing what we do. I am hoping, through the use of this blog, to figure out what is it about me that makes me create the type of art I create. I also hope to influence how I work and what kind of work I do so I, as well as others, can find something cohesive about it.