As a dancer I find myself championing for the terms "art" and "artist" to be part of the every day parlance in my world. I speak of myself as a "movement artist" and talk about my choreography as "art," often at a time when I want to, consciously or not, validate or uplift my field. The ephemeral or non-tangible form of dance is difficult to grasp as art. People will group Theatre, Dance, Music, etc. into a performing arts category, but to say "I'm an artist" connotes something that rarely involves plies, tendus, and spinal articulation.
While labeling myself as an artist I see my approach to life as being central to this self-categorization. I can easily create movement, an installation, or a video, but the true worth to this endeavor lies in the attention I give to my aesthetic. Why do I feel more like an artist when I am hiking, listening to opera, or cooing a baby to sleep?--somehow these things feel like my aesthetic. The ending product often feels less important to me (i.e. what the motion project looks like) than the journey towards the product. I do not mean I sit with the camp of "process over product;" no, I appreciate and love having a deadline and producing/performing work. The "journey" I speak of relates to the attitude I have while approaching the work. What is important to me as a living breathing human is to be able to relate these experiences to other people in meaningful and hopefully life changing ways. As an artist this is paramount.