Figments & Fragments

What is an Artist?

         An artist sees the world differently. At the age of eight, I got my first pair of eyeglasses and wandered around in awe. The gray-blue blur on the horizon was really a snow-capped mountain. The fuzzy green blob overhead wasn't just a color-crayon tree, but thousands of sharply defined leaves. These revelations taught me that seeing the world takes more than a cursory glance.

         An artist sees below the surface. You can go to the beach, look out at the water, and say that you've seen the ocean. But that's only the surface. There's a world beneath the waves full of life and meaning. To the artist, every surface is an ocean. There's hidden truth behind everything we see.

         An artist must express their vision. Having seen a greater truth, the artist feels compelled to share it. Whether it’s through painting, sculpture, music. or literature, the truth must be told. I write poems. I can't explain why and my poetry is of little value, but I am compelled to write.

         An artist then, is someone who sees a greater truth, is compelled to express that truth, and has the courage to share it with the world.




Author's note: ▼

Written for the June, 2023 round of Invalid Item 

Prompt - Write an article on the topic 'what an artist is'.
Word limit - not more than 200 words.

The rest of the story: "The Gift of Sight" 

196 words