Why I don’t call myself an artist anymore

My bio line used to read something like this:

I’m an artist, wife, daughter sister, writer, art history lover, retired archivist, birth doula, vegetarian, and facilitator.

My bio line used to read something like this:

I’m an artist, wife, daughter sister, writer, art history lover, retired archivist, birth doula, vegetarian, and facilitator.
 

While all that stuff is true (now add mother!) I’m not going to call myself any of those things again.

Why?

My art is not me.

And all those other ways I identify myself are still huge parts of me – still, not me.

When you can untangle yourself from saying I am this thing that makes me who I am then you can also untangle yourself from that thing (for me, artist) deeming your worth.

In other words:

Me = worthy

My art = also worthy, but I don’t wrap myself into it’s success for my worth.

What is on the table here is identity. The way we perceive ourselves shapes a lot, and often the roles we take or are given make up identity.

Yet here’s what I notice: identity changes all the time. From maiden to mother to crone in a woman’s life — these ways we show up and culture approaches us changes.

Yet, all we’re told to do is cling to our past identity.

And that’s literally impossible. How much time do we try to do the impossible (fit into clothes that don’t fit, buy products that promise us younger looks, buy things we truly can’t afford)?

We can’t be anything than who we are: mutable, changeable, and never quite one thing.

I’m not an artist, I make art.

It’s important to embrace this because:

As Dr. Alan Theisen discusses here: you’ll unravel yourself from feelings of imposter syndrome. Read this thread dear one, the convo here changed my life.

You’ll skip the identity crisis. As written about in this article, not taking on an identity that is firm like I’m an artist means you won’t be missing anything later down the road.

Non-attachment can be a tricky thing, but practicing it means you’re making small deposits in your inevitable future changes.

You’re free to change. I know this conversation happens in a lot of entrepreneur spaces that I hang out in: the fear of changes a message or an offering. Why? I’ve done it at least a dozen times and the people I admire most 

As you may have read here, I had a period of almost a year of not producing art. I called this the creative nothingness time, and it informed a lot of what I teach right now.

And/yet it was one of the toughest parts of my life because I’d identified so much on being able to be constantly inspired and constantly able to make art.

I read a friend of mine post on insta that fatherhood has changed how much he creates, but he’s adamant on making time for his art.

That was beautiful for me to read, because the call to parenthood changes everything. And, that change is often is exciting and terrifying all at once.

To be able to work with the change and evaluate what we want to do rather than what we have to do to maintain our identify: freedom.

So, I make art. I love making but I also know there may be a time when the desire, resources, or time to create will change again.

All things in life are cyclical, and that includes how and what we call ourselves.

And that will be just fine, because I’ll still be me.

Tell me, beautiful one: do you consider yourself an artist or a person who makes art?

How easy is it for you to break away from the roles or labels you put on yourself?

While all that stuff is true (now add mother!) I’m not going to call myself any of those things again.

Why?

My art is not me.

And all those other ways I identify myself are still huge parts of me – still, not me.

When you can untangle yourself from saying I am this thing that makes me who I am then you can also untangle yourself from that thing (for me, artist) deeming your worth.

In other words:

Me = worthy

My art = also worthy, but I don’t wrap myself into it’s success for my worth.

Our roles in life solidify who we are. I get a rush just thinking of my place in my life and the life of my family + others.

As you may have read here, I had a period of almost a year of not producing art. I called this the creative nothingness time, and it informed a lot of what I teach right now.

And/yet it was one of the toughest parts of my life because I’d identified so much on being able to be constantly inspired and constantly able to make art.

I read a friend of mine post on insta that fatherhood has changed how much he creates, but he’s adamant on making time for his art.

That was beautiful for me to read, because the call to parenthood changes everything. And, that change is often is exciting and terrifying all at once.

To be able to work with the change and evaluate what we want to do rather than what we have to do to maintain our identify: freedom.

So, I make art. I love making but I also know there may be a time when the desire, resources, or time to create will change again.

All things in life are cyclical, and that includes how and what we call ourselves.

And that will be just fine, because I’ll still be me.

Tell me, beautiful one: do you consider yourself an artist or a person who makes art? How easy is it for you to break away from the roles or labels you put on yourself?

Are you needing guidance on how to identify yourself, your purpose, your work without all the labels? Let’s make art together and find the answer. Check out my program here, now almost booked for October 2019 – grab your spot if you’re interested!



Why I don’t call myself an artist anymore

Thank you, beloved one, for reading one of my almost 300 blogs! Please consider buying me a coffee to keep quality posts like these fueled! 

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