Aspiring & Emerging

May 23, 2025

There’s a quiet, powerful shift that happens the moment you choose to call yourself an artist. Not when you sell your first piece. Not when someone validates your work. Not when you get into the right gallery, school, or social circle. The moment you decide—fully and unapologetically—is the moment you become.

Too often, we hear creatives label themselves as “aspiring” or “emerging.” It sounds humble, maybe even accurate. But what those words really imply is hesitation. Uncertainty. A foot still half out the door. To call yourself “aspiring” suggests you're waiting—waiting for permission, for proof, for someone else to name you. But no one else gets to decide that for you. It’s your decision to make.

Being an artist isn’t about external credentials—it’s about internal alignment. It’s about choosing to embody what a creative would be, do, and have. That means showing up daily in a way that affirms your decision. Start thinking like an artist. Speak like an artist. Create like an artist. Even when no one is watching. Especially when no one is watching.

This doesn’t mean you’ll always feel confident or that the path will be easy. But making the decision gives you direction. It grounds you. From there, the work becomes about consistency: showing up, creating, refining your voice, and building a life around your art. Whether you make something brilliant or something messy, you’re doing what artists do. That’s what matters.

Visualization, affirmation, daily practice—these aren’t just trendy self-help tools. They’re mechanisms for reinforcing the identity you’ve chosen. If you wake up each morning and remind yourself who you are, your choices begin to reflect that belief. And soon, your reality does too.

So if you're waiting for a sign, this is it. Make up your mind. Stop calling yourself “aspiring.” You already are. The only thing left is to *act like it—*not once, but every single day.

Because the truth is simple and liberating: you’re an artist the moment you say you are. Decide. Begin. Become.