The wonderful folks at ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive recently came across a 1974 article Chuck Jones wrote for them about being an artist, animator, poet, writer, musician (or anyone who works in the arts, for that matter.)  

It starts with Chuck Jones describing a meeting between a young man and the poet, Robert Frost: 

"A young man was once sent fresh from Columbia University with a mutual friend’s introduction to Robert Frost. Frost scanned the young man’s writings, then looking quizzically up through his craggy white brows he asked, “What do you do, son?” The young man drew himself up proudly; he was, after all, one with the great Frost. “I am a poet,” he said. Frost gently answered, “The term ‘poet’ is a gift word, son; you cannot give it to yourself.”"

Jones continues at length about the importance of your work as an animator and what the possibilities are for animation in the now and in the future.  It's a fascinatingly good read, click here to read it!  To learn more about ASIFA-Hollywood, click on their name.  

P.S. There are also several awesome Chuck Jones layout drawings accompanying the text.