What is an Interdisciplinary Artist?
So many of us grow up being told we have to pick one lane. In the creative fields, that would mean being either a painter, a writer, a musician, or a designer, etc. But what if your creativity doesn’t fit into just one box? What if your art and artistic expression live in the spaces in between? That’s where the interdisciplinary artist comes in.
If you’ve ever struggled to define yourself because you don’t fit into a neat category, this guide is for you.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
What Is an Interdisciplinary Artist?
At its core, an interdisciplinary artist is someone who works across multiple art fields and forms, blending methods, mediums, and disciplines into their work. As compared to the multidisciplinary, who have skills in many different disciplines without necessarily combining them (say, separating writing poetry from painting abstracts), the interdisciplinary practice is about integration.
Think of it like this: instead of being a painter who sometimes writes, you see your creativity as a living ecosystem that feeds into each other. An artist might paint words into their canvases, turn poems into songs, or merge sound with visual, digital projections, etc. Each discipline feeds the others.
The goal isn’t to do everything, of course, but to allow each creative idea to find its truest expression in a fusion of disciplines and media.
And it doesn’t have to be exclusively two or more artistic disciplines that are integrated. Within artivism, it often includes at least one creative discipline or medium with a discipline, scientific, or theoretical field like politics, philosophy, law, etc.
At the core, though, interdisciplinary art lives in the in-between spaces where something entirely new can be born.
(Personal note: I have to say that this is the direction I’m leaning into more and more, even though this whole website is based on the idea of multidisciplinary creativity.)
Why Make Interdisciplinary Art?
Why move beyond a single discipline or medium? Because the world isn’t simple, and neither are we or our art. Interdisciplinary art reflects the complexity of human experience.
We’re living in a fragmented, hyper-complex world. Interdisciplinary artists model something all of us desperately need: integration.
Interdisciplinary art pushes boundaries and refuses to stay inside neat categories. It expands the possibilities for expression. It lets every idea find its true form in a fusion of disciplines and media. It sparks innovation by integrating different forms and methods.
It’s also deeply human. Our lives aren’t lived in total isolation, so why should our art be? Interdisciplinary practices and art mirror the complexity of identity, experience, and culture, and are, therefore, great practices suited for artivism.
They also invite more people by creating multiple entry points. Maybe someone can’t connect with a painting, but the music accompanying it or the words woven into it bring them closer and help them see the painting in a light they never would’ve otherwise.
If one part of artivism is to spark movements, change, and wow people into action, interdisciplinary creativity and art are a great way to do that.
What Does Interdisciplinary Art Look Like?
Interdisciplinary art can take countless forms. Here are some examples:
It might be a poet who paints words onto their canvases
A fashion designer creating clothes from textiles with their paintings printed on them
A composer designing soundscapes to accompany their performance art
Any type of artivist who integrates at least one artistic discipline with a social, political, philosophical, etc. discipline
It can also integrate two or more completely different artistic fields, like:
Visual art and literary art
Perhaps illustrated poetry, art zines, murals that include text, etc.
Music and visual art
Music videos are a commonly used mix of these fields, but this can also include music accompanying paintings, performance art, and film, etc.
Performance art and visual art
Perhaps standing on a stage and painting while a band is playing on that same stage, painting while a collaborator is doing spoken word poetry, the integration of the set design on the stage and the performance that takes place there, etc.
The possibilities and the room for experimentation and innovation are endless.
Benefits of Being Interdisciplinary
Choosing the interdisciplinary path gives you freedom. You’re not tied to a single label or medium. You can approach problems from different angles, adapt when one practice feels blocked, and discover new forms of communication and expression with your creativity.
Over time, the way you combine your practices becomes your signature. And the way you combine your practices with the themes, values, and ideas you want to communicate through your art is uniquely yours. No one else will have your exact mix. It’s almost like your fingerprint as an artivist.
It can also open doors to collaboration. Since you’re already blending practices, other creatives from these different fields will naturally be drawn to you and open up opportunities for collaboration. Together, you can tell stories that feel richer, deeper, and more layered than any one artist or one medium could do in itself.
Your artistic DNA and the reason behind your artivism are unique to you. Interdisciplinary work can take that to the next level.
Challenges of Being Interdisciplinary
Of course, being interdisciplinary isn’t easy.
It can be hard to explain who you are when people expect a specific title or label. The outside world often prefers specific descriptions and titles so that it can put you in a neat box.
Sometimes your audience may not know how to categorize what you’re making, which might affect your ability to get traction and monetize your work. It’s easier to market yourself to others when you’re super specific.
But here’s a truth: those same challenges can be your strengths. Not fitting the mold makes you innovative. Not being easy to define can make you unforgettable if it’s supported by other things like innovation, wow-factor, personality, a strong message, etc.
How to Step Into Interdisciplinary Practice
If you feel called to this path, here are a few ways to start:
Follow your ideas, not the medium
Start by focusing on the ideas, values, and messages you want to communicate, rather than starting with a medium and trying to fit those ideas into a specific mold.
Stay curious
Read outside your field, connect with activist movements and organizers to learn from them, watch documentaries on different topics and themes that pique your interest, etc.
Experiment without pressure and let connections emerge naturally
Sketch, collage, write, film something that piques your interest. Keep it fun and don’t focus on the results.
Don’t stress over labels. Focus on the message and the work itself.
Keep track of your process so you can see the threads weaving together
Having a logbook where you take notes of the things you’ve done each day, the thoughts you’ve had around your work, the things you discovered, what worked, what didn’t work, and what you can tweak, etc., is a great tool and resource to have.
And finally, think of your creative practice and disciplines as an ecosystem. The disciplines don’t compete; on the contrary, they nurture one another.
Final Words
If you’ve ever worried that you’re too many things, wear too many hats, or are not easily defined, remember that it’s not a weakness. It’s your superpower. The world doesn’t need more specialists who stay in their lanes. It needs creators who build bridges, weave connections, and bring new visions to life.
You don’t have to choose just one identity. You get to be all of them. You don’t have to choose to do just one thing. You can do whatever you want and create something entirely unique to you.
Now, I would love to hear from you. What are the lessons you’ve learned as an interdisciplinary artist? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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