Redefining the artist stereotype

What comes to mind when you think of a typical artist? Or musician?

Recently I decided I wanted to be an artist in some capacity and started thinking about what an artist is. For years I had aligned myself with the title 'art teacher' rather than 'artist', so when I actually started thinking about what I thought of as an artist, I was surprised to find that I had bought into some stereotypes.

The artist has been an archetype throughout history and is well-known. Perceived as sensitive, intuitive, creative and often spiritual with an urge to bring forth beauty into the world. Perhaps flamboyant, romantic or idealistic - and often too relaxed or unorganised to get things done on time! -  they can struggle to stay grounded. I've known a few like this. On the negative side of the scale, artist archetypes can plummet into self doubt, criticism, stagnation, isolation, creative block, drug and alcohol abuse and even into madness. Many of them wear their struggle like a badge of honour, as if their pain were their creativity. These artists (and musicians) are often celebrated throughout history for their darkness.

Oh yes, there are a lot of misconceptions about artists.

Then, there is the notion that artists are born with natural talent (more on this in another post). Talent, however, isn't a guarantee to success. Many talented artists get nowhere. Well-meaning people in my life instilled the archetype of 'the starving artist' into me as a young person. It is accepted that creativity has to do more with luck than work, and many brilliant creatives remain impoverished in the quest to be recognised. As a result of this cultural perception, I steered myself towards a more stable creative income via the teaching profession. Unfortunately, teaching took up a lot of my time and energy in the beginning. I dabbled in school projects but made no art of my own for a very long time. In recent years I woke up to the fact that my soul had been starved of it's creative outlet - to me, this is the real meaning of 'the starving artist'.

I realised that creativity and creative people have been largely misunderstood. (Ok, maybe I had already known this on some level but I realised it again in a much more profound way.) I realised that these images of the artist were damaging and that I had to reconsider my beliefs about artists if I was going to grow into one. I decided to ditch all the archetypal images and redefine the artist as simply 'a maker or creator'.

This simplification has been so liberating for me! It meant the creations do not have to be original or meaningful or skilful or beautiful or thought-provoking. The creator doesn't have to be dedicated to making art full-time, or have to sell any work. Although I have a formal art education, an artist doesn't need that either. They do not have to be starving or drunk or struggling or crazy, or romantic or innovative or even have very interesting ideas. All that mattered is that they make things.

With this new definition of artist, I have started making things.

"I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none." - Ben Shahn.


Until next time,

Erin