Morning Muse: Why I Believe Everyone is an Artist

Why I Believe Everyone is an Artist

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I see the world. I don't want to tell anyone else how they should see it; I just want to share how it feels to me.

For a long time, I’ve seen art in two different ways. The first way is art as a craft. This is when someone works very hard to master a technique. They can paint a portrait that looks exactly like the person, or make something perfectly to a customer's order. It is a fantastic skill, and I don't underrate it at all, but to me, it feels more like using a skill to produce a product.

The second way is art as self-expression. To me, this is like a second language that your soul speaks. I remember reading about prehistoric people drawing animals on cave walls. Those drawings weren't about "style" or being "correct." That person saw an animal in the field, felt something, and went back to the cave to put that feeling on the wall. They were just trying to talk about their feelings.

The Trap of School

When I was at school, we had to paint "still life"—objects sitting on a table. I could do it, but it felt wrong. I felt tied down by the rules. I realized that sometimes, when you focus too much on mastering a skill, you can get stuck. You become so worried about the technique that you aren't free to say what you actually feel. Later, when I went back to painting on my own, I stopped painting "subjects" and started trying to let my soul speak instead.

The Artists All Around Us

If we agree that art is just a way to express a feeling, then I realized that every single person is an artist.

Take my partner, for example. She takes pictures with her phone everywhere we go. She isn’t trying to be a "professional photographer." She just wants to capture a moment so that years later, she can look at that photo and feel exactly what she felt then. I don't take many pictures because I express myself in other ways, but for her, that is her art.

Or think about the music you play in your car. You don’t play the same song every single day. You choose a song that matches your mood right now. You are like a DJ of your own life, picking music to mirror your feelings. That is art. Even decorating your house—putting a little detail here or there so the room feels "right" to you—that is your soul talking.

My Own Path

I’ve always loved to play with instruments. I can’t read music and I’ve never studied them, but I love to pick up a guitar or sit at a piano and just play. I’m a terrible singer, so I usually only sing when I’m alone in my car on the way to work, but it makes me happy.

Most of my day is spent as a blacksmith, creating things in my workshop. Sometimes I don't paint for months, but I don't feel a struggle because I’m still "talking" through my music or my metalwork. I have enough ways to let my soul speak.

Don't Compare

People often look at "artists" in galleries and think, "I could never do that." But art isn't about being "good" compared to someone else. You can compare techniques, yes—but you can't compare art. Every person is unique, so their "language" is unique, too.

So, if you feel like you need to let your soul speak, just do it. Don’t worry if it isn't on the radio or in a gallery. It doesn't matter if you aren't "good" at drawing lines. If you are expressing who you are, you are an artist. You always have been.

The stories behind my artwork, the opportunities in The Lighthouse, and the reflections of the Morning Muse are my ways of keeping the lamp lit for our creative community. These resources will always be free to access. If they have found you at the right time, consider fueling the forge to help keep the fire burning. Your support, in any amount, is deeply appreciated.