For me, its all about expression. I don't care what medium its in, what form it comes out as, it's all just an expression of self. Its about taking something in the world, and projecting your self on to it in whatever form it chooses to manifest.
As a creator (or potential creator) you have divine rights to your gifts to the world (your extensions of your being), what will you choose to share? One thing that bugs me is the whiner using the excuse that "I can't X" draw/play music/paint/make art. One need not have 'talent' or 'skill' (hold on don't kill me now, I'll explain later) to create art, though in its higher forms it is beneficial to learn such things.
Art isn't a forced thing, I don't care if you're doing it for a deadline or for someone else: the simple fact is unless its not you exerting your efforts into something tangible then it IS art and not forced. What I mean by forced is you have to at some point get out of the way, and let something come through you/speak to you/have an idea/get inspired. Even if you're designing a powerpoint for your meeting in two minutes you have choices to make based on your aesthetic tastes and the subject matter, thats art too!
Granted some 'artists' might look askance and scoff at the thought, but I say sure they used the template, but for the limited creative abilities that they had at the time, they still made something. This is what I mean about talent, if you have a medium you like, you can pursue it so as to gain further artistic freedom within that medium. I can't draw a realistic face, but I can block line a head and have fun with that instead. If I wanted to create that head, I'd have a set of skills to learn and master, sure that'd make me freer in my range of choice for creation, but not necessarily a 'better artist'. Again, I'm not knocking talent learning or any of that, I'm just saying its not an excuse to say "I don't know how to draw because I can't freehand a circle/I haven't taken classes/whatever". My point is ANYONE can create art, EVERYONE has a self to express and whether or not other people think it's nice is IRRELEVANT!
Sure everyone likes fans, approval, and compliments; I do too! But if that's the reason you're doing this, I'd suggest at least considering the alternative before you continue. To me, doing it for yourself is the only way (only way I know) so I'm not accusing you of anything, just thats where I'm coming from. So while the rewards can be a nice addition, if thats all you do it for, ultimately I fail to see the gain from it. (Just because my own reward is the expression itself, and if it's not coming from a place of self then why bother?)
An artist can create, only someone else can tell you it's not art. If it is to you, than it is! In 'art class' I was lucky enough to have teachers who fostered my love for the creation, and didn't make me feel bad when my still life flower looked like a stickfigure fractal on steroids. They saw that as my personal depiction of the flower, and sure Susie could render beautiful shading, but that didn't make mine any less valid.
The problem is when we learn that art has to be held to a specific standard (heck I'm still trying to get that out of my system). For example, I've 'learned' to 'lay the piano'. This consists of free improvisation of high notes and low notes: generally a melody/scale over alternating base notes/chords. To me this isn't the same as my friends who have taken lessons for years, and so I don't say I 'know how to play'. I've learned that these notes sound good to my ear when I play them in a sequence/together so I do, then those, ect. So while I don't think I have much skill developed (and I wish I could be more versatile, so I'm trying to learn) but that doesn't mean its not art, nor can I not create something beautiful.
Anyway enough for now, if you got this far congrats... And leave me a comment saying what you thought, or at least why the heck you finished?
Peace,
hypnorocker