The main argument that the author makes is that art is not expression of self, but artmaking (the process) is a way that tells the maker more about his or her nature. Art are often left unfinished due to a wide range of fear, one of them being fatalism. I personally resonated with this concept as I usually question if I am talented or educated (in terms of craft and art) enough to make art. The author’s argument about art skills can be learned and art are made by ordinary people is really informative and help me see the process and skills of making art in new ways. Another point I resonated with is the “arrogance” that the artists are sometimes gripped by their faith in their deep understanding of a topic and disregards others who understands it in a different way.
However, I did not agree with the author’s point in saying that the art is not an expression of self. Since we are discussing artistic thinking as “art” here, the word “art” is defined more specifically separated from fine craftsmanship or simply aesthetically pleasing objects. Hence the argument that art arouse before consciousness was invalid. I believe that the core of artistic thinking is a positive feedback loop of discovering and expressing oneself, while building confidence and self-understanding during the process. The result is highly tied to the process and can also be expressive of the artist’s ego.