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My Place In The Artworld

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My Place In The Artworld

Photography Prints

Now that I'm re-focuing my artistic energy toward building not only an expanded portfolio, but also the business side of my art (something that I haven't done until now), I'm wondering where I fit into the artworld and who am I as an artist. This envolves a lot of self-reflection I know. Years ago, I started with a love of art, but little experience creating art, let alone the technical aspects of Photoshop. My start was as a "hobbyist" creating truly wonderful "crafts" :) that family and friends enjoyed with an "oh, how nice" At some point, something changed. I got in touch with my artistic heritage (father was a pretty good copy artist and musician..thanks Dad!). What was a "hobby" became more serious art. I created some very good pieces, and some "fleshy out" pieces. I worked at it, learning more about Photoshop, what it could do, and what I could do. I started looking at the world differently, noticing the art around me...and infusing that into my work.

My art has changed as my life as changed (a death of a spouse, divorce of another, now a new love..career changes, and a whole lot of personal emotional healing. Wonderful!). So with all this change, I wonder who I am as an artist? I read other artists blogs and articles, and I don't feel connected with them, except the passion to create. I don't seem to have the same sense they do with the need to communicate some message, either political, social, spiritual, etc. I suppose I am communicating out of my existance since that is where I believe creativity comes from. I am expressing myself, after all. But what am I expressing? Perhaps, that is for others to interpret? It is kinda simple for me...I love to create, be it a song, a story, or something with pixels...I need to create. Period. I've read articles relating the artist's description of how they came to create thier masterpiece, and I don't relate to the forethought invovled. Does that make me less of an artist? Is the pleasant happenstance not as respectible? I don't have a lot of knowledge of the history of art, something I would like to know.

I look at some other artists here on FAA and I can look at their work and with the little knowledge I do have, I can identify them as an abstract artist, or surrealist, impressionist, etc. Frankly, I don't know all the differences between the differently periods, styles....I guess I would classified myself as an abstract artist? I wonder if not knowing diminishes me in some way?

When all is done I want to be seen and heard. I don't need to be famous, but I want to be respected. I want my name out there as a means to an end-to have my work shown and appreciated. I want to be immortal :) with my work somewhere, everywhere, going on and on...being enjoyed, talked about, and, yes, wanted. And sure, I want to make some money in the process as I can only eat Mac N Cheese so much...a nice steak from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse would be nice every once in awhile!

So, I will continue to work on my craft, build relationships here on FAA, and hopefully, find my place in the art world.