Credentials

In a recent article an art teacher of 30 years standing expressed outrage at someone writing about art with no formal education on the subject.The implication was that without education and experience in art any comment or opinion was worthless and an affront to those who know better.

Coming from a career in medicine I do understand that one is critical of a layman's opinion. It takes a lot of research to establish a medical fact - and indeed still more research to start to question it, dietary cholesterol being a case in point! But anecdotal evidence and personal experience are real and powerful and it is valid to write about them, even if it ruffles feathers.

So with the arts. My only credential for writing about art is that I own a small gallery and that I am interested in art and in life generally. And, also, it was fortuitous that the web-building site I chose to use had a template for a blog! Who would not then have a go?!