Today, Thinking about Art

Belief

Art
I believe in it

Not long ago, I started calling myself an artist
It was not particularly true, but I had painted a few paintings
And did some drawing

I made mechanical drawings and got paid for it
Not particularly well, but enough

Then I quit
Just up and quit

Oh, I had my reasons,

Most of them not logical from the world’s standpoint
But valid to me.

I quit

And took up painting again
Not particularly well, but I did it
Again
And again

I painted
And got a sketchbook and started to draw again

Not well, but I kept at it.

I posted stuff on line and asked questions

[drove some kind guides wiggy I would imagine]

but I kept at it and started to call myself an artist.

Some looked funny at me.
Thought I was getting uppity
Thinking myself better than them
Or cultured, putting on airs
Pretending to education I did not have

But being an artist is not about being educated
Cultured
Or superior

It is about being

About breathing

It is about doing.

I picked up a camera and started shooting
The pictures turned out great
Showed them around,

“boy what a good camera you have”

not about what a good eye I have.

But I kept on.

Taking pictures,
Drawing
Painting

Putting it all together

Started mounting and framing and putting it together

Found some walls
Put it up
Had some people in

“Wow, I can’t believe you did this
Where did you take that? My house?
I don’t remember this around the neighborhood”

Then the reporter calls.
“can I see where you work?”
“Sure”

He dignifies the basement, calls it my studio
Suddenly, it becomes one.

So the paper comes out

“Wow, I didn’t know you were an artist!”

Now it is official
I am an artist.
Was all along,
But now the label sticks.