I had a conversation with an artist who I considered to be a master. Someone who lived and breathed art. Everything he did to me was, for lack of a better term, "artsy" or "artful". As I observed him in his element, creating another masterpiece, I couldn't help but ask him:

"So what makes you an artist?" 

"I share" he answered Immediately, as if he spent his whole life waiting to be asked that question. Then he paused for a few seconds, then resumed:

"Someone who shares his experience. That's what art is. Everyone has their own specific experience of the world, and to a degree everyone has a way of expressing that, language being the most basic form of that expression. But to have a specific skillset, whether its writing, painting, singing, speaking, and to use it to express yourself and share your perspective to the world, that's what's makes you an artist. Then we have matters of proficiency, but that's not important. The most important thing an artist should think about whenever they create, is how is this going to contribute to the world? Am I bringing a unique perspective, or am I'm just copying something already done? What is going to be my impact"

I pondered on that last word, IMPACT. Is reproducing nature's beauty not enough? What if I'm a photorealistic painter? does that make me less of an artist? So many questions ran through my head. 

Tune in next time for the continuation of my conversation with a master