Labels : A Rant

This is a repost from 2011. I still feel the same way and was reminded of it recently. 

OK, little bit of a rant here in response to Nancy's excellent comment to this post here:

" ... . I need to remind myself that it is ok to do art journaling and painting just for the fun of it ... The thought of trying to market what I do gives me a headache ... ."  

Right on! (It gives me a headache too). 

First of all, a bunch of years ago, everyone was talking about how hard it was to call themselves "artists." Uh huh, yes. So that they could allow themselves to make art. Ok, are we over that yet? Have we evolved to the point where we can make art as freely as we can dance without the label "dancer." 

How about if you feel like singing in the shower? Do you have to be a "singer" to allow yourself that joy? What is up with this?! This is a very tender spot for me - frankly, it really drives me nuts. Jeez. Labels. 

I am an artist. Yeah, big deal. So I went to art school and did a bunch of paintings and stuck around and did a whole bunch more. This is my craft: artist. Not ME. I'm just ... me. Amongst a lot of other much more important things (mom, wife, auntie, friend), I am a person with training as an artist.

Are you an accountant while paying your bills? A horticulturist when pinching back your jade plant? Do you feel any need to get paid for those things?  

Guess what: You can sing in the shower, dance to the music, garden, make a collage in your journal and a beautiful painting. You don't need the permission of a label. What a burden labels are. They pressure us. I get particularly annoyed when someone says "Oh, she's an ARTIST." As if that gives me permission to wear funny clothes, have outlandish ideas or be disorganized. Yikes! I'd have ideas and a big mouth regardless of my training as an artist. See: that's who I am and the only label I'm wearing says "Diana."

This isn't an easy thing to embrace. No, it takes practice.

 

Whew. I feel much better now. Thoughts?