As a child, I couldn’t tell the difference between art and design.
I loved painting and writing in my youth... the act of exploring my emotions and thoughts and expressing it all, as fully as possible was an absolute joy. I didn’t even know that’s what I was doing, I just did it. It was simple and pure. And as I get older, it became both harder and easier at the same time.
Later as an adult, I fell so deeply in love with design (and especially with typography)... I loved the form and structure and rigidity of it. It was intelligent and purposeful and helped society. It went beyond “my little thoughts”...
And now, that I’ve clarified that in my mind, I find myself unclear about which identity I feel more connected to! Artist or designer?
There are times for both. We need the beauty of child-like hopefulness and reckless experimentation/expression... and of course, we also need the maturity of careful, planned out, empathetic creativity as well.
In that complimentary contrast, the artist becomes whole and the designer, brilliant.
Not either/or but both/always.