Artist vs. Artistic
I had an incredible lunch with a community of artists yesterday. One of the ladies there brought up an incredible concept. She posed a question to all of us: are you an artist or are you simply artistic.
I pondered this all day. The thought here is that there are many people who are artistic, but how many people are actually artists? The truth is that in many people there is a lot of potential, but the question is then raised “how many of those people are doing something with that potential.”
Artistic people are people who have the ability to potential to create. Artists are those who actually do it! I think this may have been what Paul was hinting at when he said to Timothy, “Stir up the gift that is inside you!”
I’d like to challenge you with this same thing. Are you artistic or an artist?
~m
January 8th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
the question posed is a good one. I have a lot of friends who are so much more creative in art then I am but they barely call themselves artists. I suppose that the identity of an artist all depends on who you feel Christ identifies you as. You may be more artistic the Pacasso but God identifies you as that dentist or basketball player that he loves. or same thing with someone who isnt as artistic. he ROCKS at politics but in Gods eyes hes a an artist.
January 9th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Personally, I think it’s very difficult to define what an artist is. I definitely feel there is a huge difference between being artistic and being an artist. I know people who have jobs that would be considered boring, but they are an artist at what they do. I know someone who is in the medical profession, and I would definitely considered her an artist of the medical field. However, I would not characterize her as artistic. I completely agree with the above comment that a lot of it goes back to how you feel God defines you.
January 10th, 2006 at 11:10 am
Artist vs Artistic is about who one is, not what one does. Often we say “he has that down to an art form.” What do we mean by this? Is is merely that they have done it in an artistic fashion? We imply that this person has achieved the status of “Artist” in that area. It is no longer what he is doing, it is how he is doing it.
To “be an artist” is a state. A noun. It is not a characteristic, but the character in itself. If we define ourselves by what we do rather than who we are, we get all screwed up. When we figure out who we are, then act according to that, we will find it much more enjoyable, and be much more successful. We are Human Beings, not Human Doings…
cheers…
- nathan