Do you remember when you decided to call yourself an artist?

• It was progressive and not a moment. Art was in my priorities since my childhood and then I realized that I had no choice but to accept it. I avoided doing it for a long time for fear of sounding pretentious.
  

• I noticed I couldn't stop making things and felt that creating was My only way of communicating some feelings that couldn't be put into words easily. When I shared that with other people and it resonated with them, it started a dialogue.
  

• I called myself an artist as a child, but I don't remember when or why I began this practice. As I pursued higher education, I opted to use labels related to my degrees (Student, Filmmaker, etc) that felt more "accurate" to my accolades. In graduate school I became an Artist. I'm glad to have settled back into life as a lower-case "a" artist with a less ridged creative practice.