: i have previously asked the question 'what is art?' to this question, of course, there is no definitive answer. as we discovered during the discussion, how long is a piece of string? : the above notwithstanding, it recently occurred to me that the question 'what is an artist' is one worth asking. i feel answers may well be less nebulous than those offered given an enquiry as to what constitutes art. : can we suggest there may be certain innate behaviours, principles and/or practices that connect every artist? or does this assertion fail given the irony that we cannot categorically state what art, de facto, is? : nothing is nameless. it was decided that art should be named art. it was decided that those who create art be named artists. : there are those who choose, for one reason or another, to eschew this term. thus the advent of the 'creative'. this seems to contain a paradox. the reason given for refusal to name oneself an 'artist' usually involves the avoidance of pretension. though surely, given the fact that those who create are invariably labelled 'different', any 'name' chosen to describe such creators carries latent levels of pretension by default. : artist/creative - is there any substantive difference between these names? after all, both names serve to construct genres, create differential societal identities and offer adherents the safety of recognition and belonging. for all the world like any other 'group' name. enough. : what is an artist? discuss should you wish. : props to all. g

As life seems to rush by at a speed I can barely take in, it is important to step back take a look, to reflect on the past and look to the future. Take some time to decide what's important in your life and what your goals are. Are you trending toward accomplishing these? All too often I think we tend to get caught up in the moment and forget the big picture. I encourage you all to take a moment today and to reflect. Find a quiet spot and ask yourself what's your purpose and where are you going? Are you where you want to be? On another note, Ryan (pictured above) is visiting from Arizona this week. This is from our quick trip to Ireland earlier this year. Have a good night.