An artist is a person who follows their inner calling and creates art or what they consider to be art on a consistent basis. They have the ability to hone their skills over time and learn new elements that they can implement into their work. Finding success as a professional artist requires patience, perseverance and grit. Being able to accept constructive criticism and challenge themselves to improve is also key. It can take a lot of trial and error before an artist can produce work they are really proud of.
The term ‘artist’ can mean different things to different people, and it can be difficult to define. Some people will argue that an artist must have gone through a specific amount of training and experience before they can call themselves one, or that a certain period must pass before they can be considered to have become a true artist. There are other definitions that are more broad, such as the one used by a support organization called Springboard for the Arts in Minnesota, which defines an artist as “anyone who thinks creatively about their world and their dynamic place in it.”
Many artists will spend their entire lives learning new skills and exploring how they can incorporate these into their work. They will often experiment with different mediums in order to determine which ones best suit their style and artistic vision. They will also spend a large proportion of their time sharing and exhibiting their work with the public. This can be in galleries, museums, exhibition spaces and online platforms. It is also important for an artist to be able to set their prices well so that they can cover their costs and make a profit. This can be challenging if an artist feels that their work is worth more than what they are charging, but it is crucial for their career to stay sustainable in the long term.
Artists have been present throughout history in all cultures and societies. They are the flag bearers of all artistic and cultural revolutions, and they have been the vessels through which our deepest emotions and perspectives have been channelled. Shakespeare was right, when he wrote, “For the artist seeth that which no other eye can behold.”
The role of an artist is an essential part of our existence as human beings. Without the presence of artists, we wouldn’t be able to express ourselves as a culture, and our society would be significantly less functional. Whether they are creating works of beauty or simply making something useful for us to live with, artists will continue to shape our world in their own unique and inimitable way. It is with this in mind that we should all strive to be more like them.