What Does It Mean To Be Artistic?

I can't draw.

I've tried over and over. Watched tutorials. Read library books on How-To-Draw ____. I just wasn't born with that ability, I guess. Where one can draw these amazing portraits of people, I can maybe get a stick figure's body to be straight. But the odds of that happening is very low. 

When you think of the word "art" you think of drawing, painting, and sculpting. Italian and French artist pop into your head. Or perhaps a friend you know can draw really well, and that is who you think of. Maybe you were born with the talent of being "artistic" and can draw and paint. 

When I think of the word "art", numbers fly through my head. I can hear Mozart playing in the background, and I imagine dancers performing. 5,6,7,8... and 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &... comes to mind. Frost's beautifully crafted poems comes to my mind, or that novel that I recently read, where the Writer put so much of his heart and soul into creating a masterpiece. 

art

¹

[ ärt ] 

NOUN

1. the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power:
   "the art of the Renaissance"
   synonyms: fine art · artwork
2. (the arts)
   the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance:
   "the visual arts"

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"The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination." 

I really like that. When one has artistic skills and they are told they can't express it, it kills the person. Most of the time, though, people automatically think of art only as what is on that piece of paper, or up on that canvas. But it goes so much deeper. To be artistic is to express your creativity. To apply your imagination in a visual form. Dance, music, writing, painting... It isn't limited to pencil and paper. It isn't limited to paint brushes. But rather it isn't limited at all. If you're a writer, or a dancer, or a musician, you are just as much of an artist as the person in your class that can draw and will be the next Van Gough. 

To express that creativity in novels is a beautiful thing. When one does world building, or character development, they are creating a form of art. When one can spend hours putting loving care into dialogue, and actually care about how that sentence sounds, it's art. 

To express that creativity in poetry is a beautiful thing. I have read through so many good poets' work, and I aspire to be like them. To be able to put words together in a soul stirring form. To be able to create emotion in just a few short stanzas. It's art when one can express that. 

To express that creativity in music is a beautiful thing. When one sits down at the piano, or stands up with their violin, playing their music with all their soul, it stirs something in those around them. Music really is the universal language, and it's art the way some people can stir the hearts and soul of those around them. 

To express that creativity in dance is a beautiful thing. I like elegant dancing, rather than stuff like hip-hop, because it doesn't seem to create the same tranquil feel. But all dance is art in it's own way. 

I could go on about what art is, and how much it inspires our world today, but I think I might end up boring you. If you need some inspiration or some "how-to's" on art other than drawing, you can look at these. :)

The Golden Poetic Soul
Story Forger
Character Development
Dialogue
Dreaming Hobbit
October's Poetic Soul

...be artistic...

...express yourself...

~Sarah