You no longer need to be a painter to be able to call yourself an artist. Anyone who has ever decorated a christmas tree, posted a picture on Instagram, cooked a delicious meal or simply had an artistic opinion can be called artistic. You don't need to be an artist to appreciate or enjoy someone's work in the same way that you don't have to be a singer, actor or prima ballerina to know when you see a good performance. You just know when you like or dislike something because you have an artistic intelligence that runs through your veins. We are born with an intuitive nature to be artistic and we have the ability to express ourselves artistically in everything we do.
How incredible would the world be if everyone embraced their artistry and focused more attention on what it means to be an artist? Artists, in the traditional sense, spend years working at their craft and strive for perfection. How can we embrace our natural ability to be artistic? And what elements of an artistic lifestyle can we apply to our daily activities at home or at work to contribute to the world’s beauty?
It’s difficult to say that an artist is great because greatness is a matter of taste. Everyone has the right to like or dislike something because there’s no right or wrong - it’s just a matter of taste. Great artists have a few things in common - they know themselves, they know which direction they want to go and they stick to their chosen route. They find a balance of sticking to their strengths and exploring places beyond their comfort zone. I put together a formula of what I believe are some of the most important qualities of a great artist. Imagine the amount of beauty that we could contribute to the world if we applied this formula into our daily lives.
Motivation
You first have to be motivated to do something and fully commit to it. Oscar Wilde once said, “the artist is nothing without the gift but the gift is nothing without the work.” Nothing is ever achieved unless you actually do the work. Find what makes you feel motivated and get to work!
Passion
No one survives the road to becoming an artist without passion. It is a tough world out there, but passion and devotion will always carry you through the good times and the hardships in life.
Dream
Let your imagination run wild and free when you are dreaming. Dreaming is what brings artistry to life and is the backbone of creativity. Your job as an artist is to dream as big as you can because subconsciously you are creating more beauty into the world.
Discipline
Discipline is the most important element of greatness. Hard work alone will not get you very far because success does not happen overnight. You have to be diligent and relentless to achieve greatness. Discipline is your foundation that will always be there to support you.
Artistic Opinion
Having an artistic conversation with yourself will help you to discover who you are, what matters to you and will assist in your personal growth as an artist.
Creativity
Creativity requires the artist to be free to express themselves without worry of criticism from other people. An artist's biggest critic is usually themselves. There is no right or wrong in being creative so leave the critic outside the room when you are creating.
We are all artists of life. Everyone contributes to the world in their own unique way. Living in the present while doing things that you are passionate about brings joy to whatever you are doing in life and will help you to live an artistic lifestyle.