What Makes an Artist Great?

When it comes to art, be it writing, drawing, or music, what is it that makes an artist great? Besides training, natural talent, and experience? There's another word that would qualify. And that word is NITPICKY! Being NITPICKY is what separates a great artist from an average one.

Being NITPICKY means an artist won't settle for work that could be BETTER. Being NITPICKY means the artist strives for the absolute BEST work that is humanly possible! Being NITPICKY means an artist wants his or her work to be PERFECT.

If an artist didn't care about his or her work being as best as it could be, then he or she wouldn't be NITPICKY. That kind of an artist will settle for mediocrity. So yes, I'm nitpicky. At least when it comes to my art. Whether it's a drawing, a painting, a novel, or my book's cover designs, I'm NITPICKY. And I'm NITPICKY because I'm a perfectionist. Because I do want every piece of art I am associated with to be as good as it can possibly be.

Does that mean I succeed at being perfect in everything I do? Of course not. But I strive for it. At least in my art. And as a teacher I tell my students that, even though no person can be perfect, as the old saying goes, no one is perfect...it doesn't mean their art can't be perfect. Art is one of the few things in this world that CAN be perfect. But only if the artist is NITPICKY.

Okay. That's the lesson for today. The school year is ready to start. And my focus this year will be great artists are NITPICKY! I never used that word before. But it's a good one.