Artsy Fartsy

You know, something that really bugs the crap out of me is people who supposedly make art who cannot take that seriously enough to call it what it is. "I am a beginning altered book "artist" who doesn't dare to..." is what set me off just now. I read it as a comment left not an hour ago by some woman in Minnesota who shares a first name with moi. She left the comment on someone's shutterfly or flickr account about an altered book they did. It just reminded me how annoyed I get when people refer to what they spend a lot of time on as something they have to put within quotation marks out of a sense of humility or something. They cannot dare to call themselves artists. Worse. They cannot call what they do what it is supposed to be: art!

Here's another phrase that really grinds on me: when they refer to the act of creating art as 'arting'! "My husband just laughs at me for all the time I spend arting." Geez, woman! Get a man who takes what you like to do seriously enough to be supportive. Better yet, take it seriously enough yourselft to call it what it is! You create art. 'Arting' is a made up word. It isn't an action verb! If you are too friggin' humble to call it what it is, why can't you refer to it as 'working on my hobby'??? Working in my studio. Drawing. Playing with paint. There are a thousand more dignified ways to refer to what you do with your free time than a stupid-sounding made-up word like 'arting.'

If you cannot call it what it is, then go watch a soap opera and wash the kitchen floor or dust your knick knacks! Gimme a freakin' break!