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Why Not Me?
How I’m learning to call myself an artist and writer
How long does it take or how much work do you have to do before you can consider yourself an artist?
Some say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in something, but I don’t know if I believe that’s true. So what’s the threshold of artistry? And do you need to be an expert or a master to be considered a professional?
I’ve written and created artwork for over ten years — at least since I was in high school. I’ve taken painting classes and writing workshops. I was published in a very small lowkey anthology and I worked for my university’s independent press. There was even a somewhat mediocre short story collection in there. But it’s taken me until now to call myself either a writer or an artist.
Why is that?
When my friends write or paint or do basically anything, I’m so ready to be a cheerleader for them and support their creative goals. Why am I not my own cheerleader when I write or paint?
I’m always so quick to tell people, “If you write, you’re a writer!” Or, “If you paint, you’re an artist!” But I never considered myself either of those, even though I was writing seriously and painting a lot because I enjoy it.
