What is art?

I believe that you can't really be taught how to be an artist. Either it's in you or it's not. You don't even really have to be great to be considered an artist, you just have to be able to speak through your craft. That's not to say that you can't refine your craft but it has to have a homebase. I think that art classes in elementary school are funny. To expose children to the theories and style of art is great but that's not so important in the lower grades. You get graded according to how well you follow directions. So, can one be creative AND stick to a set of rules to complete an assignment? Depends on the kid probably. For example, so I was told, one such artist did not follow the directions of the assignment, wasn't really paying attention, and so his finished product looked nothing like what was expected....

and yet it was chosen to be spotlighted in the administration building for exemplary art. By now means was it the best of what was assigned, but to someone, it warrented a second glance, maybe it even whispered meaning to someone. Now THAT is true art.