Art and the pursuit of happiness.

ART: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power

the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance.

I had an interesting response to something that I posted on facebook the other day. I posted a graphic that said how to be an artist... make art is it awesome is it terrible... make more art you are an artist. I posted it because in my mind it was something that stated a message I think more of us need to hear. That ART is not intended to be perfect... that sometimes what we hate can make a great impact. Tchaikovsky in fact did not consider his most popular piece to be art. The Nutcracker was intended as a bedtime story for his children. Here we are  100 years later and nearly everyone in the world has heard of The Nutcracker. My sister in law has a degree in Art and is an artist by trade.... and she put on that graphic " I don't know whether to be offended by that or not." 
My intention was not to offend... but I can see where that might be there. She has worked hard to get that degree and to have someone look at it as less than the hard work that it was probably stings. That said I apologize if any offense was felt. I recognize that feeling when people with out malice say things like " What do you DO all day?" or "Don't you get sick of being with your kids all day long?" or some other similar statement that comes from not understanding what a stay home wife and mother does to make a household work. So I have been on that side of the equation. 
Still the questions remain in my head... WHAT is it that decides that it is ART? My children are prodigious producers of ... artwork. Something that I encourage. I find that the craftier they are in a day the less they fight, it is a truly amazing equation. Taryn learns better through songs and drawing... She expresses herself eloquently with pen and paper, At the age of one she drew a skull that even a person who didn't have kids could tell was a skull... and by two you could tell exactly what she was drawing often times. Both girls are extremely musical and often make up their own songs to learn new things with. Ashlynn and Taryn when left to their own devices with craft supplies can come up with AMAZING things. 
I myself am a singer. I have been singing since I was young and while I don't make my living doing so I make it a large part of my life. As you can tell I also love to write and I take photos so much my children have adapted to be able to see with permanent flash blind. I also do needlework, often people I love end up with that handiwork as a Christmas or birthday presents. It took years before I looked at that as even in the realm of artwork. To me it has been an expression of self... so necessary that it is almost difficult to separate them from myself. But is it ART? 
I suppose it is in a way... I have always called it craft... as if it is somehow different. So let's see if it IS different ..... 

CRAFT: an activity involving skill in making things by hand. 

Well.. that definition certainly leaves a lot to be desired. And it certainly does NOT serve to clarify for me whether art is craft or craft is art. Still... the question remains inside of me. Does then the difference between craft and art mean the difference between its USEFULNESS? Am I simply over thinking things that don't need to be even thought about or considered. Art seems to run the gamut from beautiful to horrifying and everything in between... it also seems to cover every base between useful and useless. I don't guess that I will get the answers by writing about it here. Still... often the writing helps to clarify the thinking.