I met up with other local artists to learn about how they go about doing their art and promoting it. While we talked about many things, one comment that stuck with me was about how no one comes about and grants you the title of being an artist. I imagined a fairy godmother that jumped from people making them feel worthy of the title which made me laugh.

This made me think of this idea (might have been from the book “Atomic Habits“) that it’s important to adopt the identity of being an artist to feed into action. This leads to habits where you would do things an artist would do.

The essential thing to me would be to “make art”. But then there are these nuances of what someone might do, and maybe that is where it becomes exciting. An artist might show up at a farmer’s market to sell their goods or a major convention. They might study great masters at a museum. Maybe they would help emerging artists in the community.

Part of me still wants that fairy godmother, but until then, my own belief in myself will have to do.