Italian Phrase
Voglio fare l'artista.
Meaning
Literally ‘I want to do the artist’, this phrase is the natural way to say ‘I want to be an artist’ in Italian, expressing a personal ambition to work in a creative field.
When to use
Use it when talking about career goals, artistic dreams, or when you’re explaining why you’re studying painting, music, acting, etc. It works in both casual conversation and more formal interviews about future plans.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vogliofarel'artista
Voglio (volere)
‘Voglio’ is the 1st‑person singular present of the verb *volere* (to want). It is irregular: voglio, vuoi, vuole…
Fare (infinitive)
The infinitive *fare* means ‘to do / to make’ and is used after *volere* to express a desired action.
l' (elision)
The article *il* contracts to *l'* before a vowel‑initial noun, e.g., *l’artista*.
Artista (noun)
‘Artista’ is a common‑gender noun; it can refer to a painter, musician, actor, etc., and its gender matches the person.
🗨In Conversation
Voglio fare l'artista.
I want to be an artist.
Che bello! Hai già iniziato a dipingere?
How nice! Have you already started painting?
✕Common Mistakes
Voglio fare l'artista.
The verb *volere* is spelled *voglio* with a double ‘g’; the single ‘g’ is a common typo.
Voglio fare il artista.
Because *artista* starts with a vowel, the article *il* must elide to *l'*; *il artista* sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Desidero diventare un artista.
I desire to become an artist.
Mi piacerebbe essere un artista.
I would like to be an artist.
Sogno di fare l'artista.
I dream of being an artist.
Cultural Tip
In Italian, *fare l'artista* is idiomatic and can refer to any creative profession, not just visual arts. If you want to stress the professional side, you can also say *lavorare come artista*. Remember that *artista* is common‑gender, so you can say *un'artista* for a female artist without changing the article.