So I spent a lot of time refusing to call myself an artist, mostly because I saw it as a station I could not reach. I struggled to find value in my creations when words were not involved. I feel like most artists feel like this.
I once told a therapist that my brother was the artist in the family because he got all the talent. I remember the smile she had. She said perhaps he did get the talent, but I had skills. Skills are developed by the constant use of the ability. I had never thought of it that way before.
I am at a point in my life now where I realize that labels matter, both the ones that we give each other and the ones we give ourselves. We will hear that we should not call ourselves artist and we take it to heart. We will call ourselves worthless and we will take it to heart.
Perhaps the best way to handle the problem is to ignore the label and follow your heart. If you want to create… Create.
Pattimouse 
“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
― William Shakespeare
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Though that is truth, I think we expect so much of ourselves. I think that the idea that the only way to be good is to be born that way tends to hold so many back. And the idea that you must be good to do art is a societal thing. One that I personally feel we should fight to break.
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Before I turned to writing, I dreamed of being an artist, but I sold myself short and thought I would never be any good. My last attempt was those pencil drawings, most of which are now in the Poetry Treasures 4 anthology. I’m wondering whether I could take it up as a hobby again.
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Do it. Whether you are good or not. Do it. Honestly as long as it brings you even a moment of joy…Do it.
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Thanks, Patti.
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