This is an Open Invitation to Start Calling Yourself an Artist Right Now!
How many of us know in our hearts that we are a writer, a photographer, a dancer but we don’t dare to say it out loud? How many of us are waiting for someone else to give us that title, whether it’s a school, a boss, our parents or a profession itself?
Today is the day to claim the name of your creative spirit!
This is not about a degree or getting paid or getting published. This is about what’s in your heart and soul. You may not even be expressing it yet, but you know it’s in there, like the way a daffodil knows it’s a daffodil even when it’s still a bulb.
Be Brave!
I know this takes courage. It takes courage for me to write this post. I know there will be people who will be thinking, “But I worked hard to be published. What’s the point if everyone can call themselves a writer?” And I say to them, thank you for lighting the way. Thank you for showing those of us with seeds in our hearts what’s possible. Remember that once upon a time, your art lived only in your heart and that is what I’m inviting everyone to acknowledge here and now.
Be Generous!
And beautiful dreamers, grab these titles and give them away like confetti. Shower people you admire and love by acknowledging what you see in them. Sprinkle these words on tender spirits just starting to step into their creative self. If you know someone in their heart is a singer, send them a badge! Let them know you hear their song, even before they let a note fly.
Be Exuberant! There is More Than Enough to Go Around!
There is no limit to these badges. If every one feels like you, take every one! If seven feel like you, take seven. Give away 105. There’s more than enough. We won’t run out. If you don’t see your art here, email me and I’ll make another badge!
There is room for you!
Be It! Do It!
Let this name you’ve claimed inspire you to move in the world as you know you’re meant to. If you’re a dancer, dance. If you’re a writer, write. If you’re a musician, play, play, play. Let this be the beginning of fuller, deeper, wider, wilder, braver expression of the artist you are meant to be.
This week I’m letting this be my Happy Book post of gratitude plus my Saturday Find Inspiration post. There was a call in my heart to create this and now was the time to answer.
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← Previous Comments
I love these!!!! I already put some up on my blog. Thank You, Jamie for always knowing what’s in our hearts.~
Yay! They look beautiful on your site. I love seeing all the many ways you are an artist!
This is an amazing post! Thank you.
Jamie, Jamie, Jamie – oh how in tune you are with me today. I haven’t blogged much this week (all work and no play!), but today I wanted to write a post about my goals. I wrote some down a few months ago and revisited them this week and was delighted to be able to cross a few off as accomplished. It also prompted me to think about my blog profile where I talk about writing down my ambitions. “I’m going to be a writer” mine says. People keep telling me I am one already and today I was finally going to update that blog post. So, now I can with style!! I’ll be publishing later today (with a link back here naturally) with my new profile illustrated by some snazzy buttons. You’re a star Jamie!
And you, beautiful Lisa, are a writer!! ((hugs))
Oh that is so wonderful. Thank you !!!
You make my heart do the Snoopy Happy Dance :)
This was one of the first lessons I learnt at Art School if you practice art you are an artist! This did feel uncomfortable at first until I saw the logic behind it, I’d just been conditioned to think being ‘an artist’ was something to be earned. Today I still call myself an artist because I still practice my art which is mainly photography because my preferred tool is the camera.
Funny thing is that I have actually being published and still don´t feel I am not doing “enough” to be called an artist.
I have started sharing more freely on my blog because I know people who visit me are like minded people but I still don´t dare saying anything locally to people who are not art oriented / connected.
Love this! Thank you!
thnaks for remind us!
RRRrrrrOOoooooaaaAAAAAArrrRRRRRrrr!!!!!
Love this Jamie – freaking love this!
Not woo woo – absolutely totally wickedly sacred!!
Wow! What a wonderful idea.
Thank you, Jamie! Thank you!
absolutely AWESOME girlfriend – love love love it all~!~
I am a Life Artist. I am a Healer. And above all that – I am Grateful.
Thank you …
I LOVE this! Thank you!!
Many, many thanks, Jamie! I’m adding a badge right now!
These are lovely! I grabbed Artist, Creative, Dancer, and Healer. THANK YOU!
you know this is something, i called myself life artist and i thought i invented that word, LOL
thank you sweet Jamie!
Thank you for sharing these! And such a wonderful post!
Jamie, I just love, love, love you! This is so fantastic. I am struggling just a bit with claiming a couple that I want but…well, I’m not going into the “buts” just now. Thank you! This is like badges and permission slips and brave proclamations all wrapped into one!
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!! I just want to run around hugging everyone!! ((Hugs))
Keep spreading the love everyone!
The first thing that popped into my awareness from your post was this: We are all expressions of the Divine (source, God, Goddess, the field, whatever you want to call it) and as such, when we say I am a Dancer, I am an Artist….we are giving voice and physical expression/experience to the Divine. What greater offering can we make?
Jamie, you rock! Thanks for making these badges!! I may have to use more than one for my blog ;) hehe
“How many of us are waiting for someone else to give us that title..?” Oh man. This was me (and it still is sometimes). For the past year, I’ve been trying to undo my thinking in terms of always seeking other people’s approval or acknowledgement that I’m a creative person, an actor, a writer, an entrepreneur. It’s really hard to bust out of that (thanks society!), but man, when I did, I felt…great. Free. Proud. And it made me want to go find other artists and feel great with them.
So thanks again for this post, Jamie. When I feel like I’m taking a step backwards, I know this post can pick me right back up and remind me that we’re all artists and that we should alway celebrate that fact :)
Thank you, Jamie! Writing a blog post and using the badges was so fun and mind clearing, too. I feel like I have a better view of the things that are important to my heart now.
Thank you Jamie.
Thank you for all you do and give to all of us. I have posted buttons on my blog, as well. I will move them over to the sidebar for a permanent presence. I am working on claiming “artist” but I am a writer, I am creative, I am a life artist.
Thank you. Thank you.
Jean
Thank you so much for writing this and making and sharing these badges! I’ll be posting mine tomorrow! :)
I am a photographer, a writer, and a life artist.
Whenever I teach, especially children, I begin with: “Okay, who here is an artist?” and of course I raise my hand high. Usually the younger the group–the more hands raised. Then, especially with the young ones, I read David McPhail’s “Drawing Lessons From a Bear” http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Lessons-Bear-David-McPhail/dp/0316563455#reader_0316563455
The culmination of this wonderful story an artist bear tells his young friends is that all they have to do to be an artist is to say so, softly or loud–”I am an artist!” And then that’s what we all do in my class–first very soft and then very loud, with arms in the air, “I AM AN ARTIST!!!” It works for bears, it works for kids–it always works for me.
Wonderful!! I’m definitely going to check out that book, Julianne! And you’re inspiring me to pull out a book I created ages ago that I haven’t shared here… Maybe it’s time!
Jamie.
These are awesome. I saw them on Lisa Wrights blog first, which led me here to get my own copies. I’ll be adding to my blog too. I know I am a writer and an artist but sometimes those doubts come in and I begin to wonder. Maybe seeing these right on my blog will make me believe it all the time.
Kate
Well said. Keep inspiring!
Wow – how powerful is this! It is is difficult to admit tho – I feel I am at the start of my journey and hesitant about calling myself an artist.
But maybe doing so will be the self-fulfilling prophecy: I say it, I believe it therefore it is!
thanks Jamie!
ooooh….wow! this is so powerful! Thank you Jamie, I have *CLAIMED* these badges. Thank you. You are so affirming.
I want to share with you a blog I came across this week that is encouraging Toronto Artists to be proud and creative voters:
http://artsvotetoronto.ca/2010/08/you-oughta-be-in-pictures/
Have fun with your submission…I did!
Fabulous! I shared this on Facebook too, Jenn. Thank you!
Hi, Jamie and once again thank you. I was having breakfast with two gallery owning artists the other day that I don’t know very well. They were asking what I like to do and I said I play with watercolors. The one very well known artist in our area said, ” then you are an artist. If you paint you are an artist.” And then I saw your badge today and definitely copied it as well as I am a writer and I am creative. Thank you so much for these affirmations that we can share with the world. Have a wonderful weekend.
I love that this energy is in the air, Ginny!
It’s a joy to see all this love, belief, confidence and enthusiasm, everyone. Thank you for sharing how this has moved you. Thank you for not only claiming a badge but sharing here that “I did it!” Here’s to us all being witnesses for one another that we are artists and photographers and dancers and writers. That we are all life artists here, sharing our creativity, insight and love.
You inspire me!!
These are great Jamie. Thanks so much!
I would love to know where all you wonderful people are in relation to where I live because where I live, no one feels the way you all do. Everyone here is hard and cold and uncaring and unfeeling and so mean….I seldom run across a person who has a kind word or even a smile. I live in New York…and I love all these buttons and will be putting some of them on my blog later today…hugs!
I can’t turn my back on you for a second, Jamie Ridler! I turn around and you have unleashed a truckload if inspiration and buttloads of love and joy all over the place. You get up to the best sort of mischief, dear heart.
lol–this is WONDERFUL–now can you make a badge that has ALL those things on it? ;)
I think I will simply add a new row and include them all on my blog
….THANK YOU!!!
What if you you don’t think you’re any of these?
Also, what you wrote above reminded me of John Unger’s Zillion Sum Game concept. http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/chris-and-the-nonconformist-zillion-sum-mystery-tour/
Thank you, Jaime. ~as i said on my blog, there is no denying that i am all these things, and then some.
Thank you Jamie! This is wonderful!!!
Thank you so much for being such a great inspiration and for reminding me what it is that means the most to me… I need to add them to my side bar, but I posted with them! {{{hugs}}}
This is SO inspiring.
We are what we think and believe we are.
I am a musician.
I am a writer.
Thank you for reminding me :)
thanks, i figure if i post your your badge on my site it will be that constant reminder i need to convince myself i really am an artist. i am creative.
Yes!! Here’s to our creativity, our community and our courage! ((hugs))
A very timely reminder.
I had claimed ‘ I am a Writer’ some time ago – although I did not always claim it in public – you know the place when you are chatting casually with a shopkeeper for example. Writer was good but it wasn’t a perfect fit. I had to wait until I was ready to accept
” I am a published and prosperous poet! ”
This one took a while to come in. It has been in for about 8 weeks and it has completely transformed my life! The Universe must have said “Finally she has understood who she is – let’s give her a rip-roaring party!”
I can only say – DO IT! and watch the magic flow forth!
Bless-sings
Melody
This rocks! thank you, I fell upon this via Becca’s blog and feel compelled this evening, after a nutso day at work, to name my art. It’s a relief, and it’s a joy.
signed, Oh (writer)
Non-tech dummy here ~ how do I get this on my blog??? Please Email me!
thanks!!!
Love your blog, BTW ~
Jamie…you ROCK! You are a phenomenal woman…thank you for this post and all the other work you share! You have certainly touched my life and for that I’m grateful. I so needed this post today. I wish I was still living in Canada so I can give you a big hug in person…in the meantime HUGSSSSS!
I so love this blog! Something powerful is in the air because I just declared a new phase of BEING and OWNING {life. art. passion.} in my newest VisionMovie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0im kYEO6o&feature=channel_video_title
Thank you for this fab blog!!!
Cat Caracelo
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