Are you an artist if you don't sell your work?

1. 58

   baygirl33posted 12 years ago

   Are you an artist if you don't sell your work?

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2. 80

   Faithful Daughterposted 12 years ago

   I feel you ARE an artist even if you don't sell your work. Some people paint, draw, or use some form of artistic expression as a hobby, and prefer to give away their artwork to family and friends. Some just hold on to them because they don't feel confident their work is good enough to sell or don't know how to go about selling it but it does not take away they are an artist.

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3. 60

   Marion Elodieposted 12 years ago

   I don't think being an artist has anything to do with selling. An artist is someone who expresses themselves creatively, whether they share their song/writing/film/etc. with the world or not.

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4. 73

   Lisa Luvposted 12 years ago

   Of course you are still an artist.  When you are an artist it is part of your soul.  It doesn't even matter if you take a brake from actually doing conventional art work, because your eveyday living is treated like a canvas.

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5. 61

   Sunita-Sharmaposted 12 years ago

   Yes, I feel you are still an artist. I beleive artist is a person who likes to express his love, passion or feelings through painting /singing/dancing etc..I personally don't sell my artwork.I make paintings and love to gift them to my friends & relatives.And in return when they praise my art work, I feel that is far more important than money.

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6. 66

   The Lex Blogposted 12 years ago

   I am an artist who sells lots of my own work unfortunately not a high prices.  Damn it I only get $100,000 per piece these days and not the millions that more succesful artists do.  Of course talent as a visual artist ahs nothing to do with money you may or may not make.  Ask my good friend Van Gogh.

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7. 61

   Der Meisterposted 12 years ago

   I think so. It is just not many people will know and you will have to make living doing something else.

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8. 61

   Civil War Bobposted 12 years ago

   Absolutely.  A good friend paints in the style of Bill Alexander and has been giving away his stuff to friends and relatives for 3 decades.  He may have sold half a dozen, but that was due to the kindness of the recipients.

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9. 89

   alliemacbposted 12 years ago

   Yes, I think so.  The primary goal of a lot of artists is not to make money but to express their creativity so for some people, selling their art doesn't even come into it.

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10. 59

    Shawn May Scottposted 12 years ago

    Yes, art has nothing to do with selling. Selling is what an agent does.

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11. 70

    Sharda Sriramposted 12 years ago

    It's not necessary if you are an artist you need to sell your work even i'm an artist but i love to canvas my thoughts as later in my life i want it to be as my impressions for my loved ones, i love to teach my art work to my 3 yr old son and that's where i share my knowledge of art. An artist art is priceless as no body knows the price of thoughts from where the art rise.

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12. 58

    Insane Mundaneposted 12 years ago

    Totally!  Monetary gain has nothing to do with whether or not you're an artist!
    Personally, when I used to occupy the hobby of art, I was somewhat selfish and wanted to keep all of my works no matter if they could easily sell or not.

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