So you're going to be an Artist?

Being an artist may not be everyone's go-to identity. For me, I recognized myself as a broad brush artist before I recognized myself as a musician. Being an artist meant living a life of creativity, listening to inspriation and challenging expectations, even at a young age. I have very strong memories of being drawn to the arts as young as my memory serves. The photo above are two shirts (in the children's section) from OldNavy, who is currently being bombarded for this bizzare anti-artist sweater.

Some of the responses to the sweater have been emotional, cheeky and even political; a company so large with so much stake in capitalism and mass marketing could only benefit from fewer artists challenging expectations or pushing boundaries. Perhaps encouraging less creativity also encourages the masses to accept same-ness and mundanity. However, this post really isn't about OldNavy. OldNavy is just an example of the voices that exist to discredit and belittle our natural desire to create, be creative and ultimately be artists.

I've never had "the conversation" with any of my student's parents. "The coversation" being the one where they sit me down or vice versa and we decide that their child is the next great thing to happen to music. That is not to say that my students couldn't be a successful, plantinum-record selling artist, composer, music teacher, music producer. All my students are artists, but that is only one part of who they are and who they are becomming. I have many conversations about listening, communication and critical thinking with both students and parents. All of these are skills that one must cultivate in producing their art, whatever they choose that to be and whenever they choose to do it.

Right now I'm reading the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. In this book Elizabeth Gilbert approaches creativity and creative living as an essential expression of life. Her personal anecdotes and story weaving aim to redefine our limitations on creativity; who it is for, who can participate in it. This book feels so relavent to me, especially as this OldNavy shirt surfaces. Why are we so affraid ?

Are we really affraid that our children will be artists ?

I suppose my response to OldNavy and to the voices that discredit art and belittle it's significance in the world is that it's too late! We are already artists. It is an identity that we are born into for simply being human and what a relief that is. That artist within us can be supressed; beaten down and told that it is unworthy (like this shirt) but it is simply not true. That's why piano lessons, karate lessons, gardening, drawing, swimming lessons, reading and writing are such beautiful experiences. That time cannot be simmered down into creating an artist or not, but rather waking up and giving consciousness to an artist that is already inside us.

Sometimes we're messy and emotional, fierce and frustrated, brilliant and belabored but I am so glad to be an artist.