One of my pet peeves is when a customer tells me “I have no talent whatsoever.” I take it personally…after all, we are all part of the same race, and I happen to think we are all a pretty creative bunch. Yes, you may be an artist!
Even life itself can be an art form. I’ve seen people who are so kind and so beloved by their fellows that their very existence is aesthetic. Maybe they have a gift for listening to others’ troubles and giving good sane advice, or encouraging a person in tackling a difficult or challenging task. I think the very best teachers are often in that category.
And talent comes in so many forms! Great cooks, excellent gardeners, singers, writers, storytellers, athletes, organizers and the list goes on and on. Art is really a part of life, and anything done exceptionally well can be an art form.
I imagine the top reason some people think they aren’t creative is because someone simply told them that and they believed it! Maybe they were a child, inventing something with crayons, sticks or finger paint and someone they respected criticized what they had done. Imagine how a child’s creativity could be blunted by an insensitive adult or peer telling him what he made was ugly or poorly done. I think most of us would agree that little guys and gals need encouragement, not criticism!
Growing up with an Artist Mom
I guess in many ways I was lucky growing up…I had a mom (Kathryn Hutton) who was a very talented artist. From the time we were kids she had a home studio, and drew wrapping paper and cards for Gibson Greeting Card Company. She also had a steady clientele of customers who commissioned her to do portraits of not only their children, but their pets as well! (The photo of the cat drawing is a portrait Mom did for a senator and his wife back in the 1960s)
Well into her 80s Mom was still a much in demand free-lance artist, illustrating children’s books. I have at least a dozen of them on my bookshelf, but she did many more.
Could Art be your Career?
So to me, making a living as an artist was always a viable career option. After all, I had the example of a mother who did just that!
Even though it is often looked upon as a “pipe dream” by many, if you have the desire, work hard to hone your skills and are not afraid of a few set backs along the way, you can be a full time artist.
But even if you don’t “do art” full time, please don’t deny yourself the joy that comes with creating! Write a poem, invent a new kind of pie, tell your grand kids your own made up story. It’s what gives life that extra zing…it’s the salsa on top of the enchilada, the sour cream on the blintz, the whipped cream on the bowl of strawberries.
What kind of artist are you?