Don't be an Armchair Artist.

Sometimes I can be a pretty awesome Armchair Artist. I procrastinate a lot; I think that's a pretty common problem for everyone. It's not a habit just for artists. I also daydream a lot; also not a habit exclusive to artists. Now, whether or not either one of these activities are good or bad, well, as Paracelsus said, "The dose makes the poison." Together, I find they can be paralyzing.

I had a momentary pang of self doubt, so I thought I would Google "Armchair Artist," and I was surprised to find my definition was not there. There are many artists of armchairs, or "armchair artists", but no Armchair Artists. Armchair Artists; as in Armchair Philosopher, Backseat driver, or Monday Morning Quarterback. 

In my search from Armchair Artists, I did stumble upon this however, which can be attributed to one Julia Helen Murray, who I do not know.

I was first introduced to the phrase Armchair Artist by Jim Sajovic, my painting instructor sophomore year at the Kansas City Art Institute. Early in the semester, he came by my studio. I didn't have much of any work to show, so I told him all the things I was thinking about doing and he said, "That's really nice Jennifer, now make sure you don't become an Armchair Artist."

An Armchair Artist is an artist who sits and congratulates themselves over all the great artworks they have imagined, but have failed to actually make a reality for the rest of us to see and critique. They will tell you all their brilliant plans, but they will never produce. Being an Armchair Artist is sort of like being a Monday Morning Quarterback, if it were the Quarterback that was Monday Morning Quarterbacking himself on the Thursday and then not showing for the game because, in his mind, he's already won and he was awesome.