-Re: We Are All Artists by Timmmmyboy, CIS Week 3 Blog Post

Art Class Students at Cathedral Senior High in New Ulm, Minnesota Photo by: The U.S. National Archives Photostream at Flickr.com under No Restrictions

I would like to point out that through the duration of this audio (Are we All Artists by Tim Owens) I continuously found myself nodding in agreement with what Tim Owens (Timmmmyboy) had to say. Though, my knit-picky self does have a few small objections.

Are we all artists? In my opinion, no. Do we all have to potential to be artists? Yes. Which I’m quite sure is the point Tim is making. Personally I’m just a bit picky about words.

Putting all aside, I completely agree with what Tim is saying and this is something that I’ve felt for quite a long time. In my opinion, as humans, we have a tendency to limit ourselves with societal standards and expectations.
i.e. if I see my classmate draw a wonderful picture and am inclined to draw but my picture turns out horrible, my first assumption is that I do not have the potential to be an artist, or to be ‘good’ at art. But, in truth, who decided that? I did, didn’t I? Who told me I can’t be an artist simply because this one drawing didn’t turn out well?

As an ‘artist’ myself, I’ve always been able to relate to this. Though I can draw moderately well I tend to believe I’m not very creative and therefore I lack motivation to do any art all. This happens in many cases however there are few instances were I’m very inspired and my art turns out much more to my liking.

I believe at times like this, when we feel as though we can’t reach our goals, as Tim says it’s best to surround yourself in a creative environment; to get to to know others that can help foster your creativity. Perhaps other creative artists? I believe there is nothing wrong with taking an idea and changing it around to make it something new. I believe the world revolves around this concept.

Everything started as one small idea, and over time many different people have evolved upon these ideas to make it better. That is what ‘inspiration’ is. It’s finding something, and changing it, shaping it into the form that ones own eyes perceive it. Inspiration is how an apple becomes apple pie, how a pie becomes a cake, how a cake becomes a cupcake; that constant question of “What if we could do this” or “What if we made it like that, instead”

I was quite surprised at how strongly I could relate to what Tim is saying. Even at this point, in my life. I’ve made a decision to start a ‘personality’ on the radio and youtube. So I spend just a few hours looking through videos, watching what other people do and seeing what I can draw and learn from them. I talk to people who are fond of these videos to find out what they do and don’t like about them.

I’ve made a decision to start seriously working on a book, and so now I’ve taken the initiative to read and practice writing.

Keep in mind, I’m neither a writer nor an entertainer; both which can be perceived as a form of ‘art’.

As I said before I believe we limit ourselves.

What I mean to get at is that in cases like this, we tend to place ourselves in binds. Once we are intimidated by the ‘good art’ of our neighbor we look out ourselves in comparison and decide that we ‘can’t do that’. But we don’t take into account the years of practice that our neighbors may have put into their skill.
I had friends who are amazing artists at only the of 15, when I was 18. Naturally, I wished my art was better developed but I didn’t put half the time into practicing that my younger friends did.

And I think this is a hard concept to completely realize. We decide that if we can’t do Art, we’ll do History. And once we learn History we don’t want to take the risk of trying Art and failing again. No one likes failure; so we leave it be and continue with something we can do. Which is not bad, of course. It’s simply my belief as best as I can explain it.

One thing I can say though is that the internet as become such a huge outlet for Art and it’s amazing to see so  many different kinds of work for so many people. I know people who are absoloutely amazing artists, but studying to be scientists, or teachers and regardless they are able to put there are in a place where the whole world can see it.