Real art!

I ponder the statement of creating art: 
It is the product that matters; or is it  the process that matters??  Any visual art can be a topic of conversation!  Taking some of my mixed medias to show to my students at school (and now at art guild)  always makes for an interesting endeavor.  How can I explain what I did?  Will or do they understand?
I used to strive for the product, and now sometimes I just focus on the joy of creating and the process; not concerned about the product.  Why?  Sometimes I find that the process I enjoyed actually turns out to be a catalyst for other processes which bring the actual product. 
So what makes real art?  When a little boy or girl bring  you their picture they made just for you, and it's a ?????? in your mind--remember it is something very vivid and personal in THEIR mind.  No, we can't jump into their mind and know what they are thinking.  But THEY know as they see it as a big picture to them. 
Creating art is a two-fold process:  imagination, process and product.  Self-expression, in other words, is putting the imagination on the paper, creating the art is the process using media, and the product is what's created: the picture; whether it be a painting, collage, or 3-D piece. 
Making it yours, is what makes it real.  Experiment, explore, learn, have fun, and never give up; because just when you think it's a failure, it turns out to be something really cool or if you try something else, you will be surprised!  I rarely throw anything out that seems "bad", because I find it can most always be used in a collage.  So, get out your art supplies and start creating some REAL art. 

See please August 4, 2013  post on Rauschenberg's "Bed"--is it art? 















Please also see August 4, 2013  Rauschenberg's "Bed" is it art? post.