Can You Make Art if You Are Not an Artist? | Alexandra Novik-Khamis

Being creative is not the same thing as being an artist--and vice versa.

The truth is, the definition of what it means to be "creative" seems to be painfully subjective. Add in the comparison to art, and what it means to be "artistic" and you've just set yourself up for a longwinded conversation that appears to have no end.

By definition, artistry and artistic ability is the cultivation of skills and talents honed toward creating fine works of art: painting, drawing, sculpting, musical composition, etc. 

In short: art is an original creation with the intention of sparking an emotion or response in the viewer, listener, etc.

Conversely, creativity and creative ability is defined as the skill of pooling together different elements to find a solution to a problem. A perfect example would be advertising: creative thinking and originality geared toward delivering a business result.

Knowing this, imagine how difficult it is then for a company looking to be "more creative." What does that even mean? And more importantly, how are they measuring success?

The overlap is that both artistry and creativity require some level of emotional intelligence. In both cases, you are working to capture a message or meaning and communicate it purposefully. The difference, it seems, is in that message's destination. If it is aimed outwardly at an intended audience, one might classify it as "creative." If the message is aimed inwardly, and acts first as a mirror for the creator, sparking self-reflection, it leans more toward the realm of art.

Plenty of pretentious creators and art aficionados will try to convince the world that the creation of art is reserved for elite groups. That you cannot just be an artist or make art without a grand purpose or meaning. I get why. This practice drives the price of art up and inflates the value–but it also discourages a lot of people from trying to create.

I have been discouraged many times through my experiences in the art world because I didn’t think I could live up to what an artist should be. And there was a long stretch where I did not believe I was an artist at all. During those years, I wasted too much time not creating.

Artist or not, you can and you should make art.

The art world has rules, but this is the world where you can and should break them. It’s always funny to me when creative people have rigid mind-sets because I see creativity as a fluid practice. Rearranging the things in your life to make new and surprising combinations is where creativity thrives. The moment you get stuck in your ways is the moment creativity starts to fade.

If you’re being a responsible member of society, you are staying home and are quite possibly bored out of your mind already. 

I am no stranger to staying away from people, but to all my fellow introverts, check on your extroverted friends. They probably aren’t okay. You should also convince them to pick up a new hobby–like art!

Now is the perfect time to make art and to flex your creative muscles. Whether you’ve done art in the past, consider yourself a professional, or believe you have zero creativity, you should make art.

Maybe this isn’t your career and maybe you are terribly unskilled–but you can make art, and you should make art.

Everything in your life can be used to make art, and art can be everything around you. You don’t have to make art a certain way. You don’t even have to use traditional supplies. Just make things.

Use art stencils and cinnamon on top of your morning latte to make edible art. Fold and stack your bathroom towels in a new way. Organize your fruit bowl by color. Use tea and a watercolor brush to make earthy monochromatic paintings in a sketchbook. Fold your junk mail into origami flowers. Anything! The possibilities are endless.

There are no rules that you have to follow except to make art in any way you can today.

Negative comments from others are bad, but negative comments from your own internal dialogue are even worse. Choose to only listen to encouraging thoughts, because they will move you forward. Positive thoughts are creative. Negative thoughts are destructive.

I hope you follow all of your curiosities and make the art that you want to make. 

The spiritual element of artistry has nothing to do with the title, and everything to do with the intention of your artwork. If you’re making art that you care about deeply, then what you’re producing might be more important artistically. If you’re making art purely for commercial reasons, then you’re just a business-person through the vehicle of the arts.

My question to you is: which are you? And if you resonate with one or the other (or both), what are the reasons why? What deeper qualities explain that chosen association?

I'd love to hear your responses. This topic fascinates me.