I am an artist and a philosopher in Tacoma, Washington. I am lucky to have a day job where I make a living making other people's art. In the time that is left, I make my own.
When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold,
Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould;
And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,
Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art?"
--From Rudyard Kipling's The Conundrum of the Workshops
Some art is just supposed to look nice, while other art means to say something -- to convey an important message that the artist wants to communicate. Some art, however, is meant to get some kind of feeling out. It could be some feeling that's too intense for the artist to contain. The feeling might be positive such as love or beauty. Often, it's something negative such as anger or frustration.
I favor art that is intended to cause transformation. The creation of the physical object is, itself, a ritual. It is an act that is meant to bring about a change to the world. It is my goal that each of my pieces, even the funny ones, have some specific personal meaning which represents my will and intention.
That a sculpture has a goal, however, does not preclude it from also having meaning and beauty. The very best art does all these things and more.