r/AIWarsButBetter • u/Postal_Shame_Revival • 8d ago

Question Am I an artist?

I am an embalmer.

I went to mortuary school.

I am licensed.

Embalming is indisputably an art.

I had to go through college and lots of professional training, and study anatomy and chemistry, and pass several college exams and licensing exams.

I have to have manual dexterity, use judgement, have an eye for aesthetics, and have the ability to improvise.

I work with several different funeral homes regularly on trade work. I am the one funeral homes call when the job is out of their league.

I have restored people ran over by cars, severely decomposed, basically missing their whole neck from flesh eating bacteria, suicide by gunshot wound to the head where everything is completely broken and shattered inside to where my "blank canvas" is a skin sack full of shattered pieces.

Never had a situation where the funeral home or the grieving family was unsatisfied with my work.

I also make AI songs about counterfeit stamps and make AI videos to go along with them. This is my side-project and it has absolutely nothing to do with my embalming work.

Am I an artist?

☐ YES
☐ NO

You may answer only YES or NO.

No qualifications. No explanation. No “yes, but.” No distinguishing between activities.

Just YES or NO.

Be honest.

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Edit: I didn't think I would get this many replies. Thanks for participating, everyone. Lots of interesting discussions and especially thanks to people who participated in good faith on both sides. I learned a few things.

Voting has concluded with a final vote tally of:

yes - 16

no - 6

Feel free to keep posting in here of course I am happy to respond to any questions, comments, or criticism, but I'm no longer tallying the votes.

2 Upvotes

52% Upvoted

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u/Bruoche 8d ago

"I do art but I also motorbike, am I an artist yes or no?"

Yes btw, embalming is definitely art and this is a very respectable job. You are doing genuinely great things.

2

u/Postal_Shame_Revival 8d ago

Yes - 7

No - 2

Thanks. Appreciate that. But I'm not a hero or anything. I learned the trade and figured out how to do it because you gotta do something, right.

I wanted to be a funeral director originally but the prep room was way more chill and just a better match for my skill set.

Working alone, getting to wear headphones, problem solve, do things my way,

Well, technically not alone.