Am I an Artist?

Paula and I are both artists. Or at least, we are called artists! But sometimes I ask myself a simple question: When can you call yourself an artist?

It is a question I think about quite often. Is it about talent? Education? Experience? Or Genetic? Perhaps it is the way you live your life?

Of course, you can be an artist after graduating from art school. But you can also develop your artistic skills through years of practice, curiosity, and hard work. Paula and I have followed our own paths. We are largely self-taught, and the years have taught us how to develop, nurture, and expand our talents.

We talk about art, read books about art (especially those beautiful books published by Waanders), and keep our minds open to new ideas. We explore the world of art as much as possible, while also becoming specialists in our own fields.

Paula draws and paints; I work with textiles.

Believe me, there is a whole world of possibilities in textiles!

A Life Devoted to Creativity

I make costumes, decorative objects, clothing, bags, Chanel-style jackets, hats, corsets, and many other things. My interests seem to grow faster than I can find time to explore them all. But that is part of the fun.

I can only speak for myself, of course, but I think about my work all day long. I go to bed thinking about a project and wake up with new ideas.

Before I start creating a new piece, I imagine the finished result. I picture the shapes, the colours, the materials, and all the little details. Then I work towards that image, step by step.

Knowledge of fabrics is essential.

I visit fabric shops, explore second-hand shops, and know a great many online fabric stores. I can look at a picture of a garment and often identify the fabric by its name, texture, and properties. I usually have a good idea of where to find it, too.

Sometimes I think I know more about fabrics than is healthy for an ordinary human being! But this knowledge is not something you learn overnight. It comes from years of touching, studying, buying, cutting, sewing, and occasionally making expensive mistakes. And, of course, from trying again.

The Trouble with Being a Perfectionist

There is another characteristic that seems to come with the territory: perfectionism.

It can be a wonderful quality, but it can also be rather exhausting.

I can unpick the same piece of sewing thirty-eight times and try again. Yes, really!

I always buy extra fabric in case something goes wrong. I would rather have too much than discover that I have made a mistake and no longer have enough material to correct it.

I redo things. I improve things. And when I look back at my finished work, I rarely feel completely satisfied.

There is almost always something I could have done better.

Sometimes I am pleased with the result, of course. But more often, I see possibilities for improvement.

Perhaps that is how you continue to grow as an artist. You never feel that you have learned everything. There is always another technique to discover, another material to explore, or another idea waiting to be developed.

Still, I have to remind myself that perfection does not always make something more beautiful. Sometimes you have to stop, put down your scissors, and accept that a piece is finished. However, that is easier said than done!

The Greatest Reward of Handmade Art

Despite all the hard work, there is something that makes everything worthwhile.

It is the moment when someone else is happy with what I have made.

A quilt, a patchwork blanket, a costume, or an art pillow. It does not really matter what it is. Seeing someone enjoy something I have created with my own hands gives me enormous pleasure. And perhaps this is one of the most important parts of making art.

You create something that did not exist before. You put time, knowledge, imagination, and care into it. And then you send it out into the world, where it becomes part of someone else's life. That is a wonderful feeling.

I know that my skills have developed considerably over the years. I have learned a great deal, and I can now make things that would once have seemed impossible to me.

I would even dare to say that my skills are above average. There, I said it!

It still feels rather uncomfortable to praise yourself. We are often much better at seeing our mistakes than recognising how far we have come. But perhaps we should give ourselves a little credit now and then.

(continuing under photos)

The Art of Finding Time for Art

There is one important thing I have learned about a creative life: you need time.Lots of it. Where do you find that time?

Well, mostly by choosing not to do other things.

You will rarely find me sitting on the sofa watching television series on Netflix. I do not spend many weekends going out, unless a fabric shop happens to be involved, of course!

I easily spend more than eight hours a day working on my craft. Researching, designing, sewing, experimenting, photographing, and thinking about the next project. In that sense, I might be a rather obsessed person.

Coco Chanel once described herself in terms that reflected a similarly intense devotion to her work. I suppose that when you love what you do, it can become the centre of your world.

Socialising does not always come naturally to me, either. In my defence, I sometimes have long conversations with my sewing machines.

Oh dear. That sounds rather worrying, doesn't it?

Perhaps artists are a little strange after all. We spend so much time inside our own creative worlds that ordinary social activities can sometimes feel like an interruption. Or perhaps that is simply my excuse!

Can You Be an Artist Without an Art Degree?

I am now sixty years old, and I still find myself asking whether I have earned the right to call myself an artist. It seems a little ridiculous when I think about it.

I have spent years learning, practising, experimenting, and developing my skills. I have made countless things, solved countless problems, and discovered new possibilities along the way. And yet, I hesitate.

Perhaps we imagine that an artist must be someone who exhibits paintings in galleries, sells sculptures for thousands of euros, or has their name printed in books about art. But art is much bigger than that.

It can be a drawing, a handmade costume, a beautifully constructed jacket, a quilt made from old pieces of fabric, or a decorative object that brings joy to a home.

Art can be practical, too. Something can be useful and beautiful at the same time.

I believe there is room for many different kinds of artists. Some have formal training, while others are self-taught and have learned through experience. Some work with paint and canvas, while others work with textiles, wood, clay, or paper.

What matters is the dedication, knowledge, imagination, and the desire to create something meaningful.

At least, that is what I think. Still, I am not entirely sure whether I dare to call myself an artist.

Perhaps I should simply get on with my sewing and stop worrying about labels!

A Creative Life Is a Happy Life

At sixty, I have the time to devote myself to my work. Is my life a little one-sided? Maybe. But I am happy. And if something I make can make another person happy, I am even happier.

Sometimes, happiness comes from something very simple.

A neighbour arrives with a pair of trousers that need repairing. We make a cup of coffee, have a chat, and I mend the trousers.

Sharing a coffee, I realise that I am quite a sociable person after all!

Not every creative project needs to be an extraordinary work of art. Sometimes the greatest satisfaction comes from helping someone, repairing something useful, or giving an old object a new life.

There is beauty in that, too.

Paula and I work with different materials; we share the pleasure of creating things. We enjoy learning, exploring ideas, and developing our skills. We know that there is always more to discover. And perhaps that is what keeps us going.

Artists live for their art, just as other people find happiness in their jobs, their sports, music festivals, cooking, gardening, or any other activity they love.

We are all different. We have different talents, different interests, and different ways of finding meaning in our lives.

The important thing is to discover what you are good at, what makes you happy, and what you can contribute to the world.

Because when people have the freedom to develop their talents and do what they love, the world becomes a little more interesting, a little more beautiful, and perhaps a little kinder, too.