Become an Artist

Happy New Year!

The paragraphs below are extracted from a short essay titled, “Become an Artist,”  featured in the manuscript of my upcoming book, Be Extraordinary: Philosophical Advice for Photographic (and Other) Artists.

If you wish to hear me read more excerpts from the book, discuss some of the philosophies behind it, and/or ask me some philosophical questions, please join me for a virtual presentation and discussion this coming Wednesday, January 3rd.

The thing of course, is to make yourself alive. Most people remain all of their lives in a stupor. The point of being an artist is that you may live.

—Sherwood Anderson, in a letter to his son

Many artists begin practicing their craft as hobbyists, imitating others. Once they accomplish a degree of technical proficiency, popularity, or financial success, they begin referring to themselves as artists but largely continue to do things in the same way they did before, perhaps upgrading their equipment and materials along the way, but rarely taking the time to expand their knowledge of art or of their chosen medium, experiment with new styles, seek inspiration in other artforms, examine their motivations beyond just keeping up an enjoyable practice, or deepen their philosophy. Why mess with success?

This attitude is unfortunate for two reasons: as individuals, they may miss out on some of the greatest rewards and most meaningful experiences that artmaking may offer; also, as members of a society, they limit their artistic contributions largely to “more of the same,” sometimes perpetuating prejudices, styles, and obsolete ethics long after they have served their usefulness, making it harder for innovative artists and new trends (in art or in their medium) to become recognized or established.

My advice: don’t become an artist by passively (or retroactively) adopting a definition of art that happens to fit the work you are already doing. Instead, take some time and put in the effort to learn about all the things that art can be, and then strive for the kind (and definition) of art that seems most meaningful to you.

Ansel Adams lamented the temptation of ease in photography. In his essay, “A Personal Credo,” he wrote, “I have often thought that if photography were difficult in the true sense of the term—meaning that the creation of a simple photograph would entail as much time and effort as the production of a good watercolor or etching—there would be a vast improvement in total output. The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster.”

Ted Orland (art teacher and Adams’s former assistant) extended the same idea to all artistic work. In his book, The View from The Studio Door, he wrote, “We recognize that someone has found their voice when their distinctive spiritual or emotional core becomes an inseparable part of their art. Reaching that threshold means letting the concerns and influences of others fall away, so that your own voice is heard clearly. It takes a whole lot of dedication and conviction and hard work and talent and luck to make that happen-but most of all it takes time.”

Recall the definition of art I chose to apply in my own work: “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination.” It should be clear to you now that what I mean by “become an artist” is this: commit to investing as much of your time and attention as you can in learning and striving to become a creative and self-expressive person, in whatever medium you choose. It doesn’t matter what you do, or how good you are; it matters that your work is challenging, engaging, and meaningful to you. Aspiring to creativity (especially originality—i.e., always striving to find new ways to express yourself artistically) and self-expression (channeling your own authentic experiences into your work), checks all these boxes.

You will find that the very pursuit of these goals—creativity and self-expression—also goes hand in hand with learning and becoming who you are. Self-expression will force you to articulate consciously what you are feeling, why you are feeling it, and how to share it with the world. It will also motivate you to live such that you have feelings and experiences worth expressing. Creativity, being intrinsically tied with personality traits such as openness to experience, will help you explore (and expand) the boundaries of your innate abilities.

Albert Camus expressed this idea succinctly and poetically (long before the psychology of flow became the subject of scientific research). In The Myth of Sisyphus, he wrote, “To create is . . . to give a shape to one’s fate. For all these characters [referring to creators], their work defines them at least as much as it is defined by them.”

The word art comes from the Latin root artem, referring to things created consciously and deliberately (as opposed to things occurring randomly or naturally). When you align your choices, in life and in art, with your own personality and freely chosen values, as existential thinkers suggest you should, you are in a sense creating your own self and your own life. This is the premise behind my earlier recommendation to consider your own life as your most important creation—your most important work of art. This seems to me a higher bar and purpose for becoming an artist than just declaring yourself an artist.

This image, featuring my good friend Michael Gordon, is (aptly) the current frontrunner to be featured on the cover of my upcoming book, Be Extraordinary.

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