Are you an artist or a narcissist? A short reflection on self-identification.
- Monique Tatina
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
I cannot remember a time in my life where I wasn’t drawing, building, writing, painting or shaping.
For the majority of artists, renowned and “nobodies” alike, creating is so intimately linked to our personality that I truly do not know who I would be without it.

Why then, does showing my art (or worse: trying to sell it) feel like such a fraudulent practice? When a woodworker makes a table, it’s perfectly sensible that he intends it to be used— to be seen! The majority of tables are meant to be sold! Why then do I feel this innate feeling of shame when I try to exhibit my work or sell a painting?
There’s always been something so egocentric about claiming to be an artist. This is something I still struggle with today, and as I write I still wouldn’t dare to define myself as an artist. God forbid I allow myself to value my creativity over my workforce productivity, or qualify myself as yet another struggling artist.
Yet, I’ve always admired the person who boldly proclaims “I’m an artist”. At least, it seems bold, especially if said person doesn’t earn their rent money via this vocation. I’ve been so conditioned to equate financial success with personal value that it strikes me as impossible to assume this often impoverished label. We live in a society.

For me, adopting this moniker would also mean accepting (and advertising) that I’m a wee bit self-obsessed. If you are an artist, producing fresh material from your noggin and hoping to share it with the masses (and SELL) and receive acclaim for the auto-created-goods…clearly you must be (even a little bit) narcissistic. But, what exactly is the issue with this? Why do I find it so cringe? Aren’t we all attracted to confidence? Isn’t it refreshing when somebody knows their worth? When somebody can qualify and value their own talent? That in and of itself IS a talent. Honestly, the most successful people tend to be a little self-obsessed, across all industries. We live in a society.
With technological capacity increasing on a daily basis and human contact decreasing at the same rate, it feels so important to embrace our human capacity to create. It is okay to be an artist. It does not have to be a fantasy. It’s okay to be proud of what you produce, the masses be damned. What’s imperative is continuing to do so. Show your work! Recognition isn’t the enemy, and neither is your ego.
I suppose what I am trying to get across is a battlecry for the nameless, to the artists who haven’t created an art-tok or hacked the IG algorithm. A battlecry for the barista who paints in her time off and the HR employee who sculpts every 3 months. In today’s social networking scene it’s so easy to compare yourself to “real” successful artists and consequently decide that you, the part-time creator, are NOT digne to call yourself an ‘artist’. I invite you to remember yourself as a kid (we ALL did something creative) and the pride you felt when you competed a piece.

You were are artist then and you are one now… and you’re most likely a little narcissistic.
If you’re any good, that is.
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