Yesterday I was admiring a picture painted by a resident at work. Teasingly I suggested that she enter it in the international watercolour exhibition held in our town every summer.
“Ouf” she said “I’m no artist.” But I disagree. In her own way she is an artist. She will never make money from her pictures and few will ever see her work but as she sits in her corner drawing, she is clearly lost in her own world of creativity. So, what is an artist?
An Artist at work
In my humble opinion, anyone who sees the sense in the aesthetic is an artist. Those who can see the value in non utilitarian objects or activity has an artistic nature. People who love to weave stories and invent things do so because of their creative drive. Like my old lady, they may not make a living from their work but they allow that impulse that comes from deep down to bubble up in bursts of creativity. To feel your heartbeat quicken in creating something new, that no one else has ever done, for me, is one of those rare pleasures in life that comes free.
But am I really an artist? Or am I really a writer? I think the problem is that the words ‘artist’ and ‘writer’ are weighted down by all these heavy connotations and associations. If I tell someone for the first time that I am writing a novel, I see their eyebrows go up and straight away I am hit with the old struggle between embarrassment, denial and pride. All I am trying to do is put together a story in my own way. My children build adventure playgrounds for insects from sticks and leaves and create colourful pictures with their marbles. What I do is not that much different, it is just allowing myself to create. There is the unquestionable fact that there are those who are blessed with and use their huge innate talent and of those people I stand in awe. But it is also probably true that most people have caverns of untapped creativity lurking somewhere.
At the end of the a day, I am only a writer when I write. For me writing things down or letting someone take the first peek at an unfinished picture is an act of courage. It is scary because it may expose my vulnerability. I suppose I write because I am fascinated by what comes out when I dig deep and let ideas and words flow. Sometimes standing back I like the result, sometimes I don’t. But if writing is something that I want to do then I accept that – and edit. So it is a process, a slowly developing art. One day I may be able to look back and see how far I have come.
“ Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark places where it leads.” Erica Jong
I love this post, Lydia. I have struggled with calling myself a writer for many years, but as you say, I’m a writer when I write. I finally made peace with that. I think creativity comes in all forms and that everyone has it inside them. If only we weren’t so intimidated by these words – artist, writer. Keep on going with your novel. Feeling the urge to create something new is a gift.
Words are labels and by choosing to use some words we unfortunately label people at the same time and labels stick. They also cause confusion and expectations which are especially associated with metiers such as writer and artist.
I call myself an artistic person but I can’t, and won’t, even define what I do for a job as it is the most unartistic thing I can think of and would label me as boring or mathmatical which is pretty much the same in my eyes. So another label!
“ Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark places where it leads.” Erica Jong – this is a lovely quote, one that I will remember
Best of luck with your novel
I so admire people like you and your fellow bloggers who have the imagination to write. I’m sure that when the ideas flow you must be thrilled but I can also imagine it doesn’t always come naturally and easily.
I remember in the film ‘Girl with the Pearl Earring’ years ago, seeing Johannes Vermeer paint, he was meticulous not fast, he was creative but scrupulous in the detail. Remember the famous Edison quote that “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration!” This is all part of the ‘process’ you talk about , Lydia!
Keep going all of you and, hopefully, in everything we do we can look back and see how far we’ve come!
Dare I finish with one more quotation from someone I’ve never heard of, called Scott Adams: “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” Bon courage
Bonjour Lydia!
I’m glad to have found you from Dee Dee in France’s page. Anyway, I too am a writer and have always hoped to one day write a book (and live in France). I love the photo here. Anyway, best of luck with your writing,
Aimee
Wonderful post and comments here, Lydia. I’m glad that I caught up a bit to read here and resonate with the words you wrote. I know for me, since the writing I have done for a few years now has been the journaling kind of blog writing, I usually just call myself a “blogger.” But reading your words really makes me see how when I practice writing and write, this makes me be definition “a writer,” no matter where it is happening.
Like Sion writes: “If only we weren’t so intimidated by these words – artist, writer.”
Keep on working on the writing, Lydia. I know I am one of those who one day would like to read your novel!
You are so right… It took me ages to tell those closest to me that I was writing a novel. I don’t know why I was so embarrassed, my friends and family all know that I write short stories and taking on a novel is really just the next step in that creative journey. There is just something so cringe worthy about admitting to attempting to write a whole novel. Is it because it makes you appear to aspirations of grandeur? Or because it is so uncomfortable to have something that is as yet unfinished yet scrutinised by others?
I have a quote at the front of my notebook that simply says: “all it takes to be a writer is to write”. Now I know that’s not all it takes to be a good writer, but at least it will get me half way there!
This post really spoke to me. I went from being a lawyer (easy enough answer to the “what do you do?” question) to writing my first novel. I have so much trouble telling people I’m a writer that I usually just say I’m unemployed. At least being unemployed pays…! But the times that I do dare to use the “w”-word I have been surprised at how receptive people are! Half the time they end up telling me how they too have always dreamed of giving it all up to try their hand at writing! So enough with being embarrassed – it’s all in my head anyway!
Bonjour Lydia … from Aix en Provence!
This was a lovely post. Truer words were never spoken: by you and by Erica Jong. Thank you for putting it all together…and then out there for all of us to read. For me, it was perfect timing. (I found you through Keith’s blog. Felicitations!)