You’ve probably heard someone describe a friend as "so artistic" because they can draw a hyper-realistic eye or play the cello. It’s the default setting for the word. We see a skill, we see a finished product, and we slap the label on it. But honestly? That’s a pretty narrow way to look at it.
Defining what does artistic mean isn't just about technical proficiency. It’s not a synonym for "good at painting." If it were, a high-resolution printer would be the greatest artist on earth. Being artistic is actually a specific way of processing the world. It’s a temperament. It’s about how you filter the chaos of life and spit it back out in a way that makes sense to you—and maybe, if you're lucky, to someone else too.
The Gap Between Skill and Spirit
Let’s get one thing straight: technique is just the vehicle. You can have a guy who has spent twenty years mastering the art of woodworking. He can make a joint so perfect you can’t see the seam. He’s a master craftsman, for sure. But is he artistic? Not necessarily. If he’s just following a blueprint someone else drew in 1950, he’s a technician.
An artistic person, by contrast, is someone who looks at that piece of wood and decides to fight its grain to say something about tension. Or maybe they leave the rot in the center because it reminds them of how things fall apart. That’s the "artistic" part. It’s the intent. It’s the choice to deviate from the standard path to express a subjective truth.
Artistic expression is frequently messy. It’s often inconvenient. It’s definitely not always "pretty."
Why Your Brain Thinks Artistic Means "Creative"
People use these words interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. Creativity is problem-solving. You’re creative when you figure out how to fix a leaky pipe with duct tape and a rubber band. You’re creative when you optimize a spreadsheet to save your boss four hours a week.
Being artistic is a subset of creativity that specifically deals with aesthetics, emotion, and communication. It’s the "why" behind the "how." In a 2013 study published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, researchers noted that artistic individuals often score incredibly high in "Openness to Experience." This isn't just a fancy way of saying they like trying new food. It means their brains are literally more permeable to sensory information. They notice the weird shadow on the wall. They feel the shift in the room's mood when a specific song starts playing.
The Sensory Overload Factor
Ever wonder why "artistic types" seem a bit moody or overwhelmed?
It’s because being artistic often involves a lack of filters. Most people go through life successfully ignoring 90% of what’s happening around them. They have to, otherwise they’d never get anything done. But the artistic mind is constantly picking up data points. The smell of the rain, the rhythm of a subway train, the specific shade of teal on a rusted car door.
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When you ask what does artistic mean, you’re really asking what it’s like to live with the volume turned up on the world.
The "Artistic Personality" Myth
We love the trope of the starving artist or the tortured genius. We think of Van Gogh cutting off his ear or Sylvia Plath’s tragic end.
But that’s a caricature.
In reality, being artistic shows up in the most mundane places. It’s the way an accountant organizes their garden by color gradients. It’s the way a software developer writes code that isn't just functional, but "elegant"—a word they use specifically because the logic has a certain beauty to it.
Can You Learn to Be Artistic?
Yes. Sort of.
You can definitely learn the skills. Anyone can learn to mix colors or understand the rule of thirds. But the artistic perspective requires a deliberate unlearning of "the right way" to do things. It requires a willingness to be vulnerable.
Think about the work of Brené Brown. While she’s a researcher, her core message about vulnerability is the backbone of what it means to be artistic. To create something artistic, you have to risk looking stupid. You have to put a piece of your internal world outside where people can poke at it. If you aren't doing that, you're just decorating.
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The Different Flavors of Artistic Expression
We usually categorize this stuff into "The Arts"—painting, music, dance. But that’s a legacy system from the 18th century. It’s outdated.
- The Visual Path: This is the classic. Photographers, sculptors, illustrators. They think in space and light.
- The Linguistic Path: Poets, sure, but also copywriters who find the perfect three words to make you feel a sudden pang of nostalgia.
- The Kinesthetic Path: Athletes often hit an "artistic" stride. Watch a skater like Rodney Mullen or a basketball player like Kyrie Irving. There is a flow state there that transcends pure sport. It becomes a performance.
- The Systematic Path: This is the one we ignore. Chefs. Gardeners. Even some mathematicians. When the system itself is the medium.
The Science of the "Aha!" Moment
Neurologically, the artistic process is a wild ride. When someone is engaged in an artistic task, the "Default Mode Network" (DMN) in the brain kicks into high gear. This is the part of the brain responsible for daydreaming, imagining the future, and "self-referential" thought.
Usually, the DMN and the "Executive Control Network" (the part that gets stuff done) work like a seesaw—when one is up, the other is down. But in highly artistic people? They often fire together.
This means they are simultaneously dreaming and executing. They are imagining a world that doesn't exist while their hands are busy trying to build it. It’s a state of cognitive dissonance that would exhaust most people.
What It Isn't: Misconceptions That Need to Die
There are a few things that people think are "artistic" that really... aren't.
Chaos is not art. Being messy or disorganized doesn't make you artistic; it just makes you messy. Some of the most prolific artists in history—people like Andy Warhol or Joan Didion—were notoriously disciplined. They didn't wait for "the muse." They sat down at 8:00 AM and worked until 5:00 PM.
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Exclusivity is not art. There’s a weird gatekeeping in the art world where people think if "regular people" like it, it’s not artistic. That’s just snobbery. Something can be artistic and popular. (See: The Beatles, Studio Ghibli, or even certain Apple products).
The "Artistic" Label as an Excuse. Being "artistic" isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card for being a jerk or neglecting your responsibilities. Real artistic maturity is about using that sensitivity to connect with people, not to alienate them.
The Economic Reality of Being Artistic
In 2026, the definition of "artistic" is shifting again because of AI.
When a machine can generate a perfect oil painting in four seconds, the value of "technical skill" drops. We’re moving into an era where what does artistic mean is becoming synonymous with "human perspective."
The things a machine can't do—having a childhood memory, feeling the sting of a breakup, or having a weird, specific obsession with the way moss grows on a specific brick—those are the new benchmarks. The artistic person of the future isn't the one who can draw the straightest line; it’s the one who knows why the line should be crooked.
How to Lean Into Your Artistic Side
If you feel like you’ve lost that spark, you probably haven't. You’ve just buried it under "productivity" and "efficiency."
- Start noticing your "micro-preferences." Why do you like that specific coffee mug? Is it the weight? The color? The way the rim feels? Acknowledging these tiny aesthetic choices is the first step.
- Stop censoring the "dumb" ideas. Most artistic breakthroughs come from an idea that sounded ridiculous five minutes earlier.
- Change your medium. if you’re a writer, try clay. If you’re a programmer, try cooking without a recipe. Pushing your brain into a space where you don't have "technical mastery" forces the artistic spirit to take the wheel.
Actionable Steps for the "Non-Artistic"
If you’re sitting there thinking, "I don't have an artistic bone in my body," try these three things this week. Don't worry about being "good."
1. The 10-Minute Observation
Sit in a public place. Pick one person. Don't just look at them; try to imagine what their shoes say about their morning. This is the "empathy" muscle of the artistic mind.
2. Document One Boring Thing
Take a photo of something "ugly"—a trash can, a cracked sidewalk, a dead leaf. Try to find a way to frame it so it looks intentional. You’re training your eye to see value where others see nothing.
3. The "Bad" First Draft
Whatever you do for work, do one version of a task purely for yourself. Make it weird. Make it "unprofessional." See what happens when you remove the pressure of the "correct" outcome.
At the end of the day, being artistic is just a refusal to let the world be boring. It’s the insistence that there is something beneath the surface worth looking at. It's a way of saying "I was here, and this is how I saw it."
To truly embody an artistic life, you must shift your focus from the final product to the quality of your attention. Start by identifying one routine task—like making your bed or writing an email—and perform it with a deliberate aesthetic choice that serves no practical purpose other than to please your own senses. This tiny act of rebellion against pure utility is where the artistic journey begins. Use a specific notebook to jot down "sensory snapshots" throughout your day: not your thoughts, but the specific sights, sounds, or textures that caught your attention for no apparent reason. Over time, these snapshots will form a map of your unique perspective, providing the raw material for any creative project you choose to undertake.