You know that awkward moment when somebody asks what you do and you freeze?

You're an artist, but do you say it aloud or do you even say it loud?

Today, we're going to be talking about that exact moment when you finally give yourself permission to call yourself an artist.

Mean it.

Hey there, friends.

This is Timothy Chemo Brian, your head instigator for Create Art podcast, where I bring my over 30 years of experience in the arts and education world to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume.

So what I'm doing here is I've started a new series called the New Artist Compass.

And what I'm doing with that is talking directly to the new artist out there and trying to give you some of the wisdom, some of the tips, some of the ideas, remove some of the mysticism, and all that stuff that I encountered when I first became an artist.

And how apropos that we're talking today about when to call yourself an artist now.

When I was a kid, you know, middle school, high school, I thought people were kind of pretentious when they called themselves an artist.

I thought they were kind of precious.

And that's not a good term.

That's not a term of endearment.

That is a very negative term.

And I went in high school, I was doing theater, I was doing music.

And even back then, I didn't really consider myself an artist because I wasn't a tortured soul.

I mean, yes, I was wearing black all the time, and I had black fingernail polish and wore eyeliner, but I didn't really call myself an artist because I wasn't making money at it.

It wasn't my living.

I was, you know, working at a retail store or a movie theater, and I wasn't selling anything, and I wasn't selling any CDs or wasn't selling any plays or anything like that.

So I was like, I'm not an artist.

I, you know, I have to be this tortured soul and know, get drunk all the time and smoke clove cigarettes and.

And, you know, jump into all of that.

But I was wrong.

I was an artist at that time.

And when people ask me, you know, and you've experienced this, I'm sure, you know, hey, what do you do?

One of the first things I tell them is I'm a podcaster.

But I always like to.

Actually, I always like to start off with my husband.

I'm a father, I'm an artist, I'm a podcaster.

You know, I, you know, my day job is doing stuff for the Federal government.

But what I really enjoy doing is my art.

And I don't think we should be embarrassed to or apologetic to say that we're artists.

It's not being precious.

It's not being anything like that.

We're saying what we do.

And when we say we're an artist, people are going to have their own opinions.

They're going to have their own preconceived notions of what that is.

Can't do anything about it other than just being your true self.

And you can do other things.

You can have a steady 9 to 5, you know, doing spreadsheets or TPS reports.

But what feeds your soul, what do you enjoy doing is a better question that people should be asking us.

So when they ask you what you do, you can say, I'm an artist.

And then they're going to go, oh, you know, what have you sold recently?

Or anything like that?

Well, that's none of their damn business.

Because if you didn't say you're an artist, you say, you know, you know, I work at this place or that place.

Do most people ask you how much money you make per year?

No.

That's kind of a rude thing to do.

So when you say you're an artist and they go, oh, yeah, what did you sell recently?

Or where have I seen you?

You know, stuff like that, I just shut that down right away and I go, well, I mean, that's kind of personal, you know, you know, what I sold and who I sold it to and for how much I sold it.

It's none of their business.

So, you know, I let them know, hey, that's a confidential kind of thing.

But in today's episode, we're going to give you the tools to decide.

Hey, I am an artist.

This is what I do.

I may have a 9 to 5, but this is what I do.

This is what feeds my soul.

This is what helps me, you know, get through all the minutiae of whatever is happening in the day.

So let's get started.

What do you say?

So my first point today is going to be defining yourself, defining artist for yourself.

What does it mean to you?

How do you define what an artist is?

For me, this only works for me.

So don't, you know, don't use my yardstick to measure yourself, okay?

But for me, an artist is somebody is myself, commenting on the world that I live in and sharing it with others to compare notes.

That simple.

That simple.

That's what.

That's how I define myself as an artist.

Now, there's no official Checklist.

So, you know, no one's going to come around.

I'm not going to come around and go, okay, you haven't done A, B, C, D or E. So you're not an artist.

There's no checklist for it.

If you make toenail clipping and toenail clippings and glue them on a canvas, call yourself an artist.

Fine, go for it.

I'm going to share with you my definition of what an artist is.

Or for me, you know why I call myself an artist and I'm going to ask you what your definition for it is to that way I can understand it better.

But there's no checklist for this.

There's none.

I've looked.

There's no checklist.

Your definition matters because that's going to be your why, whatever that definition is.

And I would challenge you.

Go sit down, get a piece of paper and a pen and write it out for yourself.

What is that for you?

That'll help you out with your goals.

So maybe, you know, you're saying, hey, I'll be an artist when I sell this painting for a hundred dollars.

Okay, cool, go for it.

If that's what it takes for you, go for it.

But it's setting that goal for yourself to call yourself an artist.

I don't set goals for that.

I just know that I'm an artist because that's what I do is I comment on the world and share with you and, you know, compare notes and see, you know, is that a blue elephant in the sky or is it a orange gazelle?

And then you tell me, no, it's a polka dotted pyramid.

Cool.

How did you get to polka dotted pyramid?

I want to know what that is.

Your definition matters.

My definition doesn't matter.

It matters for me.

It may not matter for you.

And guess what?

I'm okay with that.

Thing of it is, you need to be at peace with being a work in progress.

I gave you the definition for, for artists.

For myself, that may change in 10 years.

That has changed in the past 10 years.

And I'm excited to see what the next 10 years brings me because I don't know what's going to happen.

But you got to be at peace with yourself.

So maybe you're not calling yourself an artist yet, but make that definition of what an artist is and then once you fulfill that definition, then for the love of God, call yourself an artist.

Stop beating yourself up about this.

Go ahead and do it.

Because there's no checklist, there's no one coming after you say, no you're not an artist.

And if they do come after you and say, no, I don't think you're an artist.

Okay?

That's your opinion.

Great.

I disagree.

And this is why I disagree, because this is how I define artist.

I have a friend that used to run a comic book shop.

He defined an artist as being somebody that is actively selling their work and making money from it.

It's not my definition.

I said, well, what does that make me?

Because I'm not actively selling my work?

He goes, well, you're an amateur artist.

I'm like, oh, wait a minute.

So is there a difference between, is that a lower thing or a higher thing?

He goes, well, okay, so professional artist is selling their stuff.

Amateur artist is just making it for the love of making it.

And I'm like, but when people sell it, do they love making it?

Some of them do, some of them don't.

Some of them, it's a 9 to 5 job.

So if it's a 9 to 5 job, is that person an artist?

I don't know.

Go ask them how they define what artist is.

So, you know, if somebody's, like I said, putting finger toenail clippings, gluing that to a canvas, or taping a banana to a wall, and they're calling themselves an artist, great.

I'm intrigued.

I want to find out what their definition is.

And maybe I adjust my definition, maybe I don't.

Maybe it makes me more firm in what my definition is.

My definition works for me.

I don't define other people as artists.

I think we all have artistic tendencies.

I think we're all creative.

But if you know that word artist is tripping you up, don't trip it up.

Just define it for yourself and then fulfill that definition.

All right, My second point is the fear.

If you call yourself an artist, people are going to judge you.

People have their own concepts, their own definitions of what an artist is, and they're going to try to impose that upon you.

And if you don't live up to their expectations, then who cares?

That's them.

That's their problem to deal with, not yours.

But it can affect you and it can cause imposter syndrome because you haven't earned the title that they're defining as artist.

But have you earned it according to your definition?

If you have, great.

If you haven't, then you're a work in progress, and that's okay, too.

That's not a problem with that.

You know, as an artist, yeah.

I want people to, you know, comment on my stuff.

I want people to be impacted by it.

That external validation.

If other people call me an artist, great, that's great.

But if you don't have that internal belief that you are an artist and that external validation is probably never going to happen for you, so it's nice.

The more important thing is to have that internal belief that you're an artist.

No matter, you know, poet, writer, dancer, whatever it is, have that internal belief first.

The external validation will come because people are looking for connection and real experiences.

So it'll eventually come.

It may not come right away.

It may not come when you want it to, but it will eventually come.

And it may have to wait until after you die and people look through yourself and go, oh, my God, he was brilliant.

That external validation shouldn't be your guiding thing.

Your internal belief, your internal definition should be that defining belief.

And you can use fear as a signal that you're doing meaningful work.

If you're afraid to put it out there, there's a reason for that.

And I think getting over that fear, getting over that hump and putting it out there and let other people look at it, I think that right there is being an artist.

Because you're overcoming something and you're sharing whatever it is that you're sharing with the world, and you're making yourself a little bit vulnerable because what if nobody likes it?

Whatever.

Everyone's calling your baby ugly.

Well, at least you're giving it a shot.

And that's really vital for me to be an artist is to give it a shot.

And if it works, great.

If it doesn't, okay, cool.

It was a great practice.

It was a great work in progress, and I'm good with that.

So, yes, you are going to be judged.

People are going to say, no, no, you're not an artist.

You have no artistic talent, blah, blah, blah.

Is it according to your definition or theirs?

Go by your definition.

My third point is the power of naming it.

If you call yourself an artist, then that's going to change how others see you.

They're going to have their own preconceived notions of what an artist is.

But now you're just not another Joe Blow on the street.

You're an artist.

And whether that be a good connotation or a bad connotation, in their mind, you can't control that.

But it controls how you act.

And if you're living up to your definition of what an artist is, that's very powerful.

It changes how you see yourself and it gives you a confidence boost.

And that's what we all need as artists is we all need that little shot of dopamine to, you know, feel good about what we're doing and to, you know, keep us going, keep us interested in what we're doing.

So it's going to change how you see yourself when you call yourself an artist, because now you are living up to your definition of what an artist is, not.

Not anyone else's.

Your definition.

You know, there's so many stories of famous artists who struggled with the same thing, and they didn't call themselves artists or they didn't call themselves painters, or maybe they did.

They didn't sell anything while they were alive.

Then afterwards.

Van Gogh is a perfect example of it.

Didn't really sell anything while he was alive, but after he died, oh, my God.

And he's considered one of the greatest artists around.

But some people, you know, he had to deal with a system that, you know, well, you got to show in, you know, in these schools and these galleries, and you gotta get paid for it, and you gotta have a, you know, a patron and.

And all that kind of jazz.

And they struggled with it, you know, these artists, they struggled with that.

And many of them died penniless and, you know, unknown.

Until at some point somebody looked at it and said, no, this is art.

This is fantastic.

And so I'm hoping that doesn't happen with you.

Okay, I call myself an artist.

Other people call me an artist, and hey, that's great.

So I won't have to deal with that.

I have sold stuff, so I don't have to deal with being penniless.

I've already sold stuff.

So by that definition, if you're going to use that as your definition, I've already done it.

Done it and bought the T shirt.

Probably made the T shirt, then bought it, and then I'm wearing it.

So there's, you know, like I said, lots of artists out there that don't have that.

I still call them an artist.

They still brought something into the world.

They were still bold enough to show somebody, even if nobody, while they were alive or respected it, liked it, anything like that, bought it.

I still call him an artist.

And, you know, dare I call you an artist?

Only you can call yourself an artist.

And then it's up to the rest of the world to either agree with it or disagree with it.

And if they disagree with it, whatever.

Does it bring joy in your life?

Does it bring something of satisfaction in your life?

Call yourself an artist and.

And enjoy the new found power that you have.

All right.

Now we're going to talk about the fourth point, which is practical steps to start owning your new title as artist.

So watch it, you know, wherever you're at, watching on YouTube or listening on your podcast app, whether you're driving or whatever you're doing.

I want you to say something with me.

I am an artist.

Okay, go ahead, your turn.

No, no, no.

Say it like you mean it.

I am an artist.

Perfect.

There you go.

Say to yourself, first you have to believe it first.

I can't give it to you.

I wish I could, but I can't give it to you.

You gotta believe it, because you've got to define whatever it is calling yourself an artist is.

Then other people, once they see that you're calling yourself an artist and that you believe you're an artist, they're gonna start calling you an artist.

How can you do that?

Well, you can share it with a good friend, somebody that you trust, and somebody that believes in you.

You can share your work online and, you know, make it official to the entire universe.

Hey, I'm an artist.

Whatever it is for you, go ahead and do it.

But you gotta start believing it yourself.

And you gotta start telling yourself that good self talk.

I'm an artist.

Now, ways you can do that, you can build rituals to reinforce that creative identity for yourself.

So maybe you wear a funny hat when you go painting, or maybe you go shirtless when you're making music.

Whatever it is, doesn't matter.

It's a little ritual for you to reinforce that you're an artist.

Hey, this is my creative time.

This is my artist time.

I got to wear a special thing of underwear.

Whatever it is, don't care.

It's all good.

You can share it with other people if you want to.

Maybe that helps define who you are and what you do.

But it doesn't start unless you own it.

I can't own it for you.

That's all up to you.

And the last point I want to bring up to you is giving yourself permission to grow.

So as an artist, I make beautiful mistakes, messy mistakes, just the best mistakes.

I've got the best mistakes in the world.

It's not about being perfect.

Your work is probably not going to be perfect from the moment you call yourself an artist.

And that's okay.

That's all right.

You learn from mistakes.

And hey, sometimes you get started on something and it goes a completely different direction, and that's, hey, great, let it go.

You know, just follow that direction.

And if it leads you nowhere, okay, cool.

So you've been down that path, you've gained knowledge.

So it's not a failure if you gain knowledge from it.

You know, you can still experiment, fail, learn.

Just be an artist.

That's the big thing.

Just do that.

And the last idea I want to leave you with is leave room for your identity to evolve.

So you know you're an artist because of A, B and C, right?

Okay, great.

But in 10 years, you might be, I'm an artist because of D, E and F, or G, H and I, or the square root of the color red.

Whatever that evolution is going to take is going to happen and take place.

That's okay, too.

Allow yourself to evolve and allow yourself to grow, because that's how you're going to be a better artist.

And when that definition changes, adjust to the change in definition.

Okay, maybe you start off being a writer and you move over to music.

All right, well, then you're going to have to, you know, take.

If you don't have any music knowledge, you're going to take a step back.

You're still an artist, but now you're pursuing a different path.

That's good, because then you can add that music into your writing and.

And maybe that'll help you write better song lyrics.

And then you'll just struggle with the notes, but leave room for yourself to evolve.

All right, that's all I have for you today.

You know, here's the thing.

You don't wait for somebody to tap you on the shoulder and say, hey, you're an artist.

We talked about a few things here, didn't we?

We talked about, you know, basically making that definition of artist for yourself.

We talked about the fear of being judged, the power of naming it, the practical steps to own it and to give yourself permission to grow.

Now, what I'd like for you to do is I'd love to.

For you to share the first moment that you said you're an artist, either in the comments on the website or social media or anything like that.

You can email me whatever you want to do, but I'd love to hear how and when you decided that you were an artist.

And maybe you haven't decided that yet.

What's holding you back?

You can email me, timothy@createartpodcast.com and.

And let me know.

That's probably the best way to get in contact with me.

So.

Hello, fellow artist.

I'm glad you've joined us.

Now, if you'd like to comment on the show or be on the show, I'm covering a bunch of topics in this series.

Email me timothy createartpodcast.com and let me know what you would like.

You can check the show notes to see all the topics and if it's something that we've already covered, that's okay.

Get in contact with me.

I want to have your insight on this.

I want to feature you on the show.

If you have, you know, critique of the show or would like to see something or like to see less of something, email me, Let me know.

Be happy to do that and have that conversation with you.

Now I know I said something about, you know, sharing your with a friend, so share this podcast with a friend that may, you know, be considering calling themselves an artist.

They're not quite there yet.

Feel free to share this episode with them.

It'll help them out tremendously as I know it's already helped you out.

Okay.

Speaking about sharing, I run another podcast called Find a Podcast about.

You can find it at findapodcast about xyz and that's where I help my listeners there find their next binge worthy podcast and outsmart the algorithm.

Check it out.

I review podcasts that I really enjoy so that way you can save some time and some headache.

The other thing that I'm doing is I've started my own business called TKB Podcast Studio.

Find that@tkbpodcaststudio.com and there I'm helping folks start their own podcast and lead through the noise with quiet professionalism.

So check it out.

See all the stuff that I'm doing over there.

All right, now it's time for you to get on with your day.

I'm going to get on with mine.

So go out there, tame that inner critic.

Create more than you consume.

Go out there and make some art for somebody you love.

You, artist, you yourself.

I'll talk to you next time.

It.