What is an artist?

It is a very vague word.

To be an artist, must you love what you do, or be good at it?

Natural talent or years of hard work? Both?

What kind of artist?

There is the art of playing an instrument or writing music

Or Paint, watercolor and acrylic

Do you design? Clothes or interior decorating, computer programs?

There is the art of dancing: ballet, jazz, hip hop or swing

Do you write? Stories of magic, broken hearts, or screaming torcher?

Perhaps poetry- the boy who broke your heart or the flaws of this patriarchal society

Does it rhyme?

Do you perform? Does your art hang in galleries or play on the radio?

Does that impress people? To say the words, “I'm an artist”

Are you scared of the demands they make?

Draw me. Sing for me. Write about me.

How many times have you poured your soul into something,

Only to have others criticize and tear it apart?

How many times have you been told that its not a “real career?”

Or “what a fun hobby!”

How many days have you suffered through English, Math, and History

When the only reason you still come to school is fifth period ceramics?

How long until they force you to give it up?

Because you need to get a job, to fit in with your friends or appease your parents

Because you need to focus on school work, get good grades

Prepare to major in engineering or medicine, a career that will pay the bills

What people don't realize, is that the plight of an artist is long, and full of doubts

What if I never sell a single painting or book?

What if I don't get into the orchestra of my dreams?

If I struggled in core classes, can I still get into this performing art school?

Sometimes those doubts cause us to change, shrinking and dulling our beautiful works until they fit into the square pegs of the latest trends

Maybe this Picasso style doesn't work for me,

Its ugly, they say

Maybe I shouldn't write so dark

Write a romance instead, they say

Maybe I should stop singing country music

Yes, they say. We like pop music

Maybe I should give up, maybe they're right.

Our own words.

Don't you think its about time we stood up?

Don't you think its about time we said,

Picasso is beautiful to me

Darkness is how I best represent and spill out my soul

And I am a country girl!

Nothing you can say will make me change or quit!

I will not stop dancing! Drawing! Writing! Singing!

I will not stop playing my flute, violin, piano, guitar!

I may not be the best at it, and I know for a fact that there will always be someone better than me

But it makes me happy, and that's all that matters.

So this is my message to all artists out there:

Don't stop. Plug your ears to anyone who doesn't encourage you

They don't have to love your style, but they should never bring you down because of it

Make friends with those who push you to improve, and hold on to them tight

Your art is beautiful, even if you are the only person who understands it

What is an artist?

It's not a very vague word.

It's you.