what is art?

this is probably one of the most difficult questions ever asked. when i am asked this question i smile and rub my head, not knowing where to start... it is a very challenging question. all i know is that art took hold of me and became one of my greatest passions and obsessions. its the topic i love to bring up whenever i talk with my workmates - every single day. and the more i explore, the more i become aware of the subject's extreme vastness. 

to top it all, i love reading books about art and aesthetics. i do this at a slow pace, digesting word by word. but sometimes i remain baffling why the definition of art varies so much amongst authoritative authors. sometimes i feel that there is no common ground, making it more challenging to pursue my quest. but i guess that art remains subject to interpretation and one can only define it by referring to his own personal experience.

some say that art is beauty. that is true... but then again, what is beauty? that remains such a vague answer! if i had to describe art in a few words, i would say that art is that particular thing that attracts attention. it is that thing that makes people react by making them think and/or feel. of course, this needs to be expanded too, and will hopefully do so in future posts. 

today i see a lot of self-proclaimed artists. there are loads of them. but one should not consider himself an artist merely because he knows how to draw and paint. that is just the skill, the technique, the tool needed to produce works of art. but that is not enough. and so i also do not consider myself an artist since i am still looking for it like a thirsty wonderer in a vast empty desert. i know how to paint... so i guess that for now, i should better call myself a painter.