The Question every artist must ask

Am I really an artist?

I realized working on my book, how in the flow I really am currently. It took my whole life to get this far, and I am only just now answering that golden question. I think every real artist questions their whole life whether they are really an artist or just trying to prove something to someone, or being defiant in someway. Well, art is defiant! It follows it's own rules of expression. Art tells a story that no one can argue with, the viewer is tasked to only receive the message and reflect within the self. The art itself has it's opinion in solid state. If you don't like it often it is still hard to look away and not be impacted by it in some way, even if that impact is begrudging. The artist is charged with the task of expressing one's own truth, or the way we see things in the world, whether political art or comedy or morose. There are no badges for best artist because art evolves, it invokes and demands a response within. It commands clarity as our brains begin to decipher the meaning upon impact. At current, these collages that I have been doing since I was a little girl bear my heart and soul - my every thought and feeling. I suddenly reached the moment where I decided what kind of artist I am.