You Don't Have To Know About Art To Be An Artist

Hello curious friends,

Do you believe me when I say that you don’t have to know about art to be an artist?

You don’t have to know color theory or art history or specialty mediums or fine art techniques. None of that is required to think of yourself, and call yourself, an artist.

The more time I’ve spent around creative people, the more I’ve realized that there are always people who know more than I do. There are artists who can tell you every movement in art history. Artists who know every medium and material. Artists who can identify painters just by looking at a brushstroke or a color palette.

That’s wonderful. It just isn’t me.

The same thing is true in other areas of my life.

I’m an author and a writer who isn’t a big reader.

Even sharing that with all of you makes me a little uncomfortable.

I often feel self-conscious about not being proficient in spelling and grammar and if I’m honest, I even feel a little ashamed when people ask if I know certain authors or popular books and I have no idea who or what they’re talking about.

I do listen to audiobooks, mostly nonfiction, but not many novels. A novel has to hit just right for me. I recently enjoyed The Other Bennet Sister, but I was drawn to it because I loved the television series and wanted to move through the story faster than waiting for one episode each week.

That’s simply who I am.

Because I just finished writing my first book, and I’m deeply involved in writing my Substack and recording my podcast, I now spend more time in the company of authors than ever before. As I prepare to share my book with the world in early fall 2026, I know I will continue to be part of this professional community and if I’m going to do that, I need to get a handle on my insecurities around my identity as an author.

In the writing world, just like the art world, you’ll find purists and judgmental creatives. Every field has them. Unfortunately, they can become a barrier for people who are just beginning.

It’s intimidating. It’s easy to feel less than or wonder if you’re doing it all wrong.

Have you wanted to take a class or learn a craft, but convinced yourself everyone else already knew more than you? Have you worried you’d be judged? Or feel embarrassed?

Being a beginner is hard for most of us.

I wrote more deeply about this in a previous article. You can read it here:

This is what I’m doing to help quiet some of that useless, negative self-talk. Most of it is made up of coping mechanisms that are outdated now, or survival skills that may have been useful at one point but no longer serve me.

Ignoring them or discounting them only makes everything worse. I try to name what I’m feeling, look at it honestly, and offer myself some kindness and compassion instead of criticism. Awareness and acceptance is the beginning.

Are they old tapes? Are they connected to a past wound, hurt, or experience? Are they real, or are they manufactured? What are they actually based on? Honestly looking at the source can lessen their power.

Sometimes that’s my husband. Sometimes it’s a friend or my therapist. When I’m too close to something, it’s hard to be objective. I’m almost always harder on myself than anyone else would be. Another perspective can create space and alternative choices where I couldn’t see any before.

Just because someone else believes authors, writers, artists, musicians, bakers, or gardeners should do something a certain way, or be interested in specific things, doesn’t make it true.

I get to choose what kind of author I am. No one else gets to decide that. Nobody can tell me I’m not an artist, or an author, or a creative person unless I decide to believe them.

Feelings aren’t facts. Just because my body is experiencing an uncomfortable sensation doesn’t mean I have to stop moving forward. We can feel fear or embarrassment or overwhelm or trepidation or imposter syndrome and still follow through. Remembering that those around me probably feel the fear as well can help lessen the hold.

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So as I move into this new stage of my creative life, out of the cozy comfort of calling myself an artist and into the unfamiliar world of being an author, I realize I’m in the same place many beginners are.

Experience in the arts doesn’t matter.

Years of work behind me doesn’t matter.

Skills, talent, or aptitude don’t matter as much as I think they do.

I’m still a beginner.

I’m an author who doesn’t have a stack of novels on my nightstand.

I’m not nearly as interested in the craft of writing as I am in sharing ideas. Writing just happens to be the way I’m doing that right now.

And you know what?

That’s okay.

Maybe the point isn’t becoming the kind of artist, writer, or author someone else expects.

Maybe it’s becoming the kind that feels honest to you.

I’m still going to feel the fear.

And I’m still going to do it anyway.

Until next time,

Pam

Everything I write, record, and create grows from the same ideas explored in my book, The Key to Creativity.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re creative, or wanted to find and trust your own interests a little more, I wrote it for you.

Buy - The Key To Creativity