Art is a verb

You don’t need to be an artist to start making art.

I’m going to tell you a secret art schools don’t want you to know:

If you want to be an artist all you have to do is make art.

That’s it.

No building a portfolio to get into art school.

No student loans.

No sitting in class.

Just start arting.

Whatever you do, don’t call yourself an artist – that word is positively dripping with expectation.

If you’re an artist, you have to create technically perfect art in accordance with the rules. If you’re an artist, you have to do boring things like discuss lighting and color value and perspective. If you’re an artist, your supplies must come from Blick or similar. If you’re an artist, you have to be in the process of getting your work into a gallery, and then attend other gallery shows *hmmmmming* and *interestinging* with other artists.

If you’re an artist, you’ll tell people who want to make art that they need to go to school to learn the right way to make art before they start breaking rules.

Pffffffft. You don’t have to appease the gatekeepers.

Many of us come to art later in life, long after the opportunity to go to art school has passed. We may think, “well, I can’t be a Real Artist so there’s no point in trying.”

Nonsense.

Just start where you are. Free of all those pesky “rules,” you end up creating art that’s uniquely you. Inimitable. Special.

It may not be good art, but that’s cool. It’s still art.

You can always go learn some rules if you want to.

I’m not saying never take an art class.

It’s just that you can get so bogged down in The Learning that you never get around to The Arting.

The more time you spend learning how others think you should make art, the less time you have to explore how you like to make art (and that’s literally THE most important thing!).

Now go art the fuck out of some art already.

(For a daily reminder yes you can buy this mug on my shop page.)

**I’m talking about all this because I’m a Creativity Cheerleader who wants to help you live in your Big Dream. Join our Facebook group, where we discuss art, life, the universe and everything (and I tell you all the time how amazing you are – we all need someone to hold a mirror up for us every now and then!).***