09/02/2026
On the first day of Art History class (shoutout to Dr. Liston at Salisbury University), my professor asked us, “What is art?”
Most of us, including me, said art can be anything. It’s the way you do your makeup in the morning. It’s the architecture of your home. It’s the sleek surface and curves of the phone you’re holding. Our consensus was that art was interpretive, and if you believed something was art, it was. Simple as that.
But that’s actually a very new concept.
Throughout the semester, we studied the Pyramids of Giza, the villages in Machu Picchu, Roman statues of emperors, great cathedrals (my fave), all kinds of religious paintings and beyond. Historically, art was meticulously planned and purposeful. People didn’t throw paint on a canvas and call it art. Plus, becoming a trained, skilled artist was an incredibly expensive pursuit.
Art was a tool to portray powerful messages, celebrate cultures and higher powers, control and manipulate societies, express suppressed opinions, and challenge the standard. Creating something for fun is entirely modern.
On the last day of class, our professor showed us a photo of a store-bought urinal, titled “Fountain” by the artist Duchamp, submitted to an exhibition in New York in 1917. Duchamp mocked high-society art to say that an artist’s idea was more important than skilled craftsmanship. And overnight, "art" turned into a debate between an idea you intend vs. something you physically make.
Then, my professor asked us again, “What is art?”
Since that class, I’ve seen art completely differently. I believe true art is careful, deliberate, and intentional. I know now that to be an artist is to plan. That gift isn’t given to everyone, and to have it and recognize the sheer power of art is the biggest blessing in my life.
I am NOT Picasso, y’all. But believe that every cake I make has a piece of me, my heart, and my artistry in it. I’m grateful every day I get to share that with all of you. ❤️
