In my previous newsletter, I touched on the inner conflict many artists face. Today, I want to dive deeper into that idea— interplay between craft, design, and creative chaos. When we begin our creative journey, it all starts with a spark—an idea asking to be shared with the world. Naturally, the question arises: How do I bring this to life?
We all take steps to answer that question, learning skills and processes to turn thought into form. This text is my attempt to offer a perspective—a biased one, of course—but one that I hope will spark some critical thinking about what we consider to be art.
The Craft
Craft is the foundation. It’s where we learn the skill—step by step, repetition after repetition. There are techniques and rules, and the more we practice, the more intuitive they become. Whether it’s a writer mastering grammar, a painter capturing what they see, or a gardener arranging flowers beautifully, craft is about doing. About learning through doing.
Eventually, this effort becomes second nature. You try different approaches, make mistakes, learn what works and what doesn’t. And through that, your personal taste begins to form. Your own rules emerge. Your own logic. You’re not overthinking anymore—you’re simply doing, responding, flowing.
The craft is also observational. If you’re surrounded by others—teachers, mentors, peers—you might begin to analyze their methods, copying and adapting what works. With time and patience, this process gives way to mastery. And while there are no shortcuts, the journey itself becomes the lesson.
The Design
Design is a shift from execution to intention. It’s the space where critical and conceptual thinking enter the picture. You start to understand that there are multiple ways to realize an idea—and that your intent is to find the best one.
Design is about stepping back from the idea to examine it. What is it really about? What’s the deeper meaning? What is the best form for it to take? It’s about applying logic and clarity. About creating something meaningful, precise, and deliberate.
Design operates on criteria—whether set by you or by a client. That means it can be analyzed, judged, improved. It becomes less about expression and more about communication. Design is the part of art that asks: How will this be received? What experience will it create?
There’s a quote I often return to:
“Art is when two people see different things. Design is when two people see the same.”
And this is also where collaboration often begins. You may be a brilliant painter, but your concept might require sculpture. Or film. Or performance. Design demands that you put the idea first—and find the right medium or the right collaborator to bring it to life.
The Chaos
It doesn’t always make sense. Your rational mind might say, “This isn’t right. It’s not working.” But something in you won’t let go. There’s a gravity to it. A quiet impulse saying: follow this. That’s the spark. That’s where the most honest work comes from—not from what you observe, but from what rises up on its own, almost unexpectedly.
It’s about looking at the piece with an engaged and curious mind. Because what flows from your subconscious is both a window and a mirror. And you can’t engage the viewer—or satisfy their curiosity—if you’re untrue, or if you rely only on one piece of the puzzle. Craft alone isn’t enough. Design alone won’t carry it. Chaos alone gets lost. But when they’re all present something deeper emerges—something that resonates, that moves, that feels undeniably honest.
Critical thinking in “What is art.”
We’re being fooled—not by the artwork, but by the way it’s framed. So much of what circulates as “art” today isn’t about the work itself, but about the spectacle built around it. It’s not the painting, it’s the performance. Not the piece, but the packaging. A video of someone pouring paint on a canvas goes viral—not because of artistic depth, but because the entire presentation is designed to generate attention, provoke reactions, and ultimately, drive sales.
This isn’t art in the traditional sense. It’s content. It’s marketing. It’s a curated illusion of creativity that manipulates chaos and conceptual language, but without the depth, craft, or sincere engagement behind it. The story, the shock, the aesthetics—it’s all constructed to sell the idea of art, not to actually communicate or connect.
That’s why the viewer holds the most power. You are the decision-maker—whether you’re simply observing or considering buying a piece. The best criteria is to understand what art means to you and why a piece matters. What do you feel? What do you see? Why is it important?
Because when a piece is honest—when it carries something real—it invites you in. It shows you something of the person who made it, but it also shows you something of yourself. That’s the quiet magic: the work becomes both a glimpse into another world and a reflection of your own.
Be critical. Be curious. Judge for yourself what is art and what inspires you. Don’t let anyone else decide that for you.
