Who am I as an artist?

As soon as I start asking this question I know I am stuck. I begin questioning in circles. Why do I want to be an artist? What kind of art do I really love? How do I find out what my inner voice is saying?

I have just realized that these questions never get me anywhere. Because I love so many things, so many different kinds of paintings by other artists I love and want to be able to do.

Who I am as an artist is who I am as a person, and sometimes it is very hard to put that into words, and I don’t think it is really necessary to do so. What I do and what I love defines me more than what I decide about myself. So when I come to the questions, who am I as an artist? What should I paint? Really all I have to do is put those questions aside, not think about them just for now, and while I mull over that just create anything I feel like and do it. That last bit is key, and perhaps if I take out the phrase ‘I feel like’ it will illustrate better what I mean. ‘Just create anything, and do it now.’ It takes away the pressure of finding out exactly what I like (what defines me) and gives me freedom to experiment with anything and maybe I will like it and maybe I wont. I don’t have to define who I am before I actually know, and it is not even necessary to know just to be.