Why I Believe Everyone is an Artist (Even if They Don’t Paint)
Almost every time I tell someone I’m an artist, the reaction is predictable. Their eyes light up for a second, and then comes the response:
“Wow, that’s amazing. I could never do that. I can’t even draw a stick figure.”
It always makes me laugh a bit, because I don’t think being an artist has much to do with how well we draw at all or how much instruction we’ve received.
We’ve been taught to place art inside this narrow box: paintings in museums, perfect portraits, sculptures carved from marble. But art doesn’t belong to a select few. It lives inside every single one of us. And the more I’ve walked my own creative path, the more convinced I am of this truth: everyone is an artist.
To me, art is about expression, not perfection.
Somewhere along the way, we learned to equate creativity with talent. If you could sing in tune or paint realistically, you were “artistic.” If you couldn’t, you got labeled as “not creative.” In fact, most of my life I thought this way. I saw those who took advanced art classes and went to art school as the real artists. I never once thought that one day I could potentially join their world.
But creativity was never meant to be judged like that, it’s not a competition. It’s taking each one of our inner worlds and letting it spill outward. Sometimes it’s messy, sometimes it’s imperfect, sometimes it doesn’t look like much from the outside. But it’s yours. And that’s what makes it art.
I think people forget how much creativity is part of their everyday life. How many little things are actually part of using your creative muscle.
For example:
The way you arrange the food on your plate so it looks inviting
The outfit you put together that feels just right for your mood
The playlist you make for a long drive
The story you tell at dinner that has everyone leaning in closer
The thoughtful way you decorate your living space so it feels like home
None of these moments may end up in a gallery, but they’re just as much “art” as anything I create with paint. Creativity weaves through our lives in ways we don’t always notice, until we pause to appreciate them.
Art is also how we connect.
When I lead my Creative Calm sessions every Sunday, I’m reminded over and over that art isn’t only about the final piece. It’s about the process. How the participants feel using different colors, and sharing emotional changes they’ve experienced just from the act of painting. The silence of focus when the group sinks into each of their own flows. The relief on someone’s face when they realize “it doesn’t have to be perfect. I can just enjoy this.”
That’s the power of art. It’s not just what you make, it’s what happens inside you while you’re making the art.
When we share our art we not only share our truth and voice, but we also create waves for connection with others. We allow space for people to be moved by us. Maybe others who see it will relate and feel more connected to you or the world at large, or maybe, it will help them to reconnect with themselves in a deeper way.
Use Your Voice
2022, White Graphite Pencil
Artwork by Miri Smerling
I’ll be honest, there have been many times since the beginning of my art journey that I’ve struggled with my own inner critic. I’ve caught myself saying, “Is what I do really art? Does it matter? Is it good enough?” I can get swept up in comparing myself to others on Instagram, or becoming too focused on results like sales, likes, or shares.
But then, I remember the things in my life that have moved me the most. A musician’s voice that gave me goosebumps, a movie so well-produced I felt affected for days, beautiful bouquets of flowers that made me smile, home-cooked meals that mixed all the right flavors and presentation. All of these were creative acts. Individuals who allowed themselves and their creativity to run wild.
Whether a person calls themselves “an artist” is irrelevant, it’s whether they manage to find outlets to express themselves, ones that feel comfortable and good to them.
Everyone is an artist, in their own way. Maybe your art is gardening, or telling stories, or writing. Maybe it’s making people laugh, or playing instruments, or maybe it’s even the way you design spreadsheets that actually make sense (yes, that’s an art too).
Whatever your medium, it’s valid. It’s valuable. And it’s part of what makes the world so rich.
So the next time you catch yourself saying, “I’m not creative,” I invite you to pause. Look at the ways you’ve expressed yourself today. Did you make someone smile? Did you shape words, flavors, sounds, or colors into something that came from you?
That’s art.
And you, whether you realize it or not, are already an artist.