[continued from yesterday’s post] …And I don’t necessarily understand it now…but I’m beginning to. My knowledge (which is little) is a smorgasbord. I know a little bit about a lot. I have a lot of different interests. I think the most interesting thing about me is my interpretation of all of these events that have occurred in my life.
Alfnpdr Padrón What does it mean to be an artist?
I’ve been asking myself this question, in various forms, for most of my life. It’s a question that bears repetition because there are so many possible answers, and my own personal answer sometimes changes. When I first began creating, the question wasn’t clearly formulated and the answer was simple: Joy! As I grew older and awareness of economic realities intruded, the questions became How can I be an artist? and Should I even try?
For a year or two, I chose not to be an artist. Oh, I still dabbled in this and that, but I wasn’t wholly or even halfheartedly invested. It was a dark and boring time.
When I recommitted myself, I felt such a deep sense of relief. I was spending my time the way I was supposed to again. I was focusing on what was important again.
Perhaps that relief, that sense of purpose, is part of what it means to be an artist…