What is art? What makes you an Artist?

I responded to a post on 2peas a bit ago and I wanted to post my response here because I wanted to remember it. I don't think that I have ever really thought about this much. I just assumed that it was art. It was a given. Maybe because I have been a performing artist all of my life. I don't know. Art has always surrounded me, so maybe I take it for granted.

"What I am having a hard time understanding is why is it art when we are 5 years old swash some paint on construction paper, add google eyes and a sticker mouth, but once we are adults we can't play with paper, paint and stickers and still call it art. My 4 year old calls what I do art. For him it is the same thing that he is doing. Am I an artist? I don't know. Art is subjective. Maybe the use of the title is too. I do know that when my students ask me about their page and tell me that their work doesn't look like mine, I tell them that it's not supposed to. That it is "their" art, it is a reflection of them and their personal style. I think it makes them feel better. They smile anyway and that makes me feel like I helped. Maybe they are just humoring me. Either way it's all good. I guess what I am trying to say is who decides what is art? Can't we just agree that it is art if we want it to be. If it makes you happy to call it that. If it makes someone else happy that you called it art. Call yourself an artist or life artist or scrapbook artist or scrapbook designer or paper addict or sticker horder ......... whatever makes you happy. "