4 ms·

Practically, the word "art" tend to create misunderstanding because literally everyone have a different idea of what the word represents. If someone tells me th

Practically, the word "art" tend to create misunderstanding because literally everyone have a different idea of what the word represents. If someone tells me they're an artist that means absolutely nothing to me. "writer" is much better in terms of communication because it tells me what you actually do. I stopped using the word years ago and it only brought me happiness in life, saved me from a lot of unproductive language games of matching one label to another.

antegamisou 4y ago
> "writer" is much better in terms of communication because it tells me what you actually do. Could also range from novelist to Substacker...
- slmjkdbtl 4y ago
  True but at least "writer" is easier to further conversation. This is a real conversation I once had: "What do you do?" "I'm an artist" "So what do you do?" "..I do art"
  - krisoft 4y ago
    That person didn’t want to indulge you in trying to simplify them and put them in a box they don’t agree with. There is nothing wrong with that. If they wanted to “further the conversation” they could have shown you examples of what they do, or told about their art more. If they choose not to that is on them. Perhaps they were tired, perhaps they found your question boring, perhaps they had some insecurities around their art or you, perhaps you rubbed them the wrong way.
onos 4y ago
Interestingly, Neil Stephenson’s — in the top comment on thread that was also on the front page earlier - gave this advice for improving ones writing: “Stop thinking of it as art, or as something you're born with, and start thinking of it as an acquired skill like cabinet making”
- lancesells 4y ago
  I totally agree with this. I'm an artist and I think of myself as part creator and part craftsman. There are so many small skills that go into my work that are much more craft than creative.
- slmjkdbtl 4y ago
  Yeah I think caring about the word too much can sometimes stand in the ways of actually mastering one's craft and create. I come from an "art school" and seen quite some people like this, especially nowadays where the identity movement is going strong, which is also a lot about words and labels.
rcme 4y ago
It's funny because the writer in the article identifies himself as a writer, not an artist. He then later equates identifying as a writer to identifying as an artist, which is kind of like that you're saying.
woolion 4y ago
Just a thought, reading your comment. A 'writer' is someone who 'writes' so there is no issue with identifying as such; you can write silly or profound things. However in French there is a specific word for a book writer, 'écrivain', whereas there is no word corresponding to 'writer', 'écriveur' is a derisive term to explicitly convey the idea that one is a writer that is not an artist. So that trick wouldn't be possible in French. So my theory is that if there is a dedicated word for the highest status activity, that word tends to naturally accumulate all semantic layers that artistic activities do. But even in English, visual arts tend to just be 'art'. You can be a 'painter', but if you don't paint then there isn't really any word, unless you identify as a drawer.

antegamisou 4y ago

> "writer" is much better in terms of communication because it tells me what you actually do. Could also range from novelist to Substacker...

slmjkdbtl 4y ago
True but at least "writer" is easier to further conversation. This is a real conversation I once had: "What do you do?" "I'm an artist" "So what do you do?" "..I do art"
- krisoft 4y ago
  That person didn’t want to indulge you in trying to simplify them and put them in a box they don’t agree with. There is nothing wrong with that. If they wanted to “further the conversation” they could have shown you examples of what they do, or told about their art more. If they choose not to that is on them. Perhaps they were tired, perhaps they found your question boring, perhaps they had some insecurities around their art or you, perhaps you rubbed them the wrong way.

onos 4y ago

Interestingly, Neil Stephenson’s — in the top comment on thread that was also on the front page earlier - gave this advice for improving ones writing: “Stop thinking of it as art, or as something you're born with, and start thinking of it as an acquired skill like cabinet making”

lancesells 4y ago
I totally agree with this. I'm an artist and I think of myself as part creator and part craftsman. There are so many small skills that go into my work that are much more craft than creative.
slmjkdbtl 4y ago
Yeah I think caring about the word too much can sometimes stand in the ways of actually mastering one's craft and create. I come from an "art school" and seen quite some people like this, especially nowadays where the identity movement is going strong, which is also a lot about words and labels.

rcme 4y ago

It's funny because the writer in the article identifies himself as a writer, not an artist. He then later equates identifying as a writer to identifying as an artist, which is kind of like that you're saying.

woolion 4y ago

Just a thought, reading your comment. A 'writer' is someone who 'writes' so there is no issue with identifying as such; you can write silly or profound things. However in French there is a specific word for a book writer, 'écrivain', whereas there is no word corresponding to 'writer', 'écriveur' is a derisive term to explicitly convey the idea that one is a writer that is not an artist. So that trick wouldn't be possible in French. So my theory is that if there is a dedicated word for the highest status activity, that word tends to naturally accumulate all semantic layers that artistic activities do. But even in English, visual arts tend to just be 'art'. You can be a 'painter', but if you don't paint then there isn't really any word, unless you identify as a drawer.