Donald Miller

There are, of course, many differences between an artist and an entertainer, and both words invite subjectivity.

Here’s one from my perspective:

An artist is bold, telling, and levels a clear path. Their canvas is the world and the brush with which they paint on the world is their song or their poem or their painting. They are making the world new and different with their work. An artist knows how they want the world to look, or more likely, they feel a new world inside them they’re trying to make into a reality. An artist is like a prophet in that way.

An entertainer, however, is worried about what people think. An entertainer is looking for applause, for something they didn’t get in childhood. An entertainer longs for approval. An entertainer trolls Twitter for mentions and reads reviews as though each were written by their neglectful father.

Some artists are entertaining and some entertainers are artists. Both get applause but the applause means different things to each. For the entertainer, the applause is a false reflection of who they are, a balm for their wounded and fleeting sense of worth. This is a sad thing and what might heal an entertainer is to aim their ambition at becoming more of an artist.

From the artist’s perspective, the applause is for the new and better world they helped create and for that reason they can stand aside and clap too.

I see the terms artist and entertainer as poles on either end of a journey. I think all of us would be better for becoming more like an artist.