When did you decide you were an artist?

[domenico Foschi]

When someone stole one of my pieces.

It actually is flattering...

[Andrew O'Neill]

When I got my BFA

[rippo]

When I was about eight years of age. I first wanted to be an astronaut, and then, ever practical even at that age, I decided that was unlikely. So I decided I'd become an aerospace engineer, so I could combine my love of drawing with my love of space.

That didn't work out.

After a long stint in the music business, I'm almost a full-time professional photographer. I've always been an artist.

Mostly a mediocre artist, but an artist none the less. As opposed to a professional baseball player, accountant or nuclear physicist. Definitely wasted my life as an artist.

[paulr]

It's a shame that calling yourself an artist has to be such a big deal in our culture. For some reason it implies that you're calling yourself a GOOD artist. Which would be a bit pretentious. But why? Why should it be different from calling yourself a plumber, or a card player, or a pedestrian ... it's something that you do. Whether you do it well or not.

[Greg Lockrey]

It actually is flattering...

It is, isn't it?

[Colin Graham]

My continuing poverty seems to reinforce any abstract notions I can't outright deny... But I agree with paulr for the most part. :-)

[Steven Barall]

I think that it's a distinction without a difference. In other words, it just doesn't matter.

It's one of those things where it's alright for people to call you an artist but if you call yourself an artist it just sorta sounds obnoxious. And also, how can you read that Briot guy. Ninety nine percent of what the guys says is just wind. Do yourself a favor and study art history and theater and music and anything else you can and speak to people who have been at these things for a while, I mean like fifty years. Think of it as a life long pursuit for knowledge and not just something that you can look up on Wikipedia.

Just make things and don't worry about what to call yourself. Good luck !

[Brian Ellis]

Edward Weston always insisted that he was a "photographer," never used the term "artist" for himself. I figure if "photographer" was good enough for Edward Weston it's good enough for me so that's the term I use.

[Gordon Moat]

The first time my mom placed one of my drawings on the refrigerator.

[paulr]

Edward Weston always insisted that he was a "photographer," never used the term "artist" for himself.

I think that was part of the art politics of the day. It was a sly way that guys like Weston and Stieglitz and Strand tried to define themselves as something separate from painters (and from the photographers that tried to be more like painters).

They insisted on being called "photographers," while at the same time fighting hard to legitemize what they did as art. Like working to establish the first photo department in an art museum, and all of Stieglitz's efforts to show photography in a formal gallery setting alongside modern painting.

Luckily we don't have to fight these particular battles anymore.

I prefer "artist" to "photographer," because who's to say the camera will always be my favorite tool? The next midlife crisis could turn me into a sculptor, or maybe a ballerina. Who needs the hassle of ordering new business cards all the time.