Earlier this year Bob Dylan revealed a collection of his paintings to the world. Punters snapped them up – although one suspects that some owners will be regularly checking the obituary columns, hoping to see a report that will send the value of their paintings skywards.

As popular as the paintings were, the critics were unkind. Seen as an interesting addition to the Dylan legend but worth little as a set of artworks on their own, it seemed the knives were poised and ready to tear into the canvas, figuratively, even before they were unveiled.

Joolz Denby understands why this happened only too well.

Having curated a show about the art of tattooing, the Orange Prize- shortlisted writer finds herself pigeon-holed far too often for her liking.

She's fully aware that people find difficulty with a writer curating an art exhibition.

At an exclusive viewing Joolz told me: "I'm an artist, but there's a need to classify me as a writer. In these days of corporate marketing, the idea of the artist as a multi-faceted personality is taboo.

"When I got my first publishing deal I wanted to do the illustrations for the cover, but I wasn't allowed."

To adopt the vernacular of the marketing world, why can't we think outside the box?

As Joolz says: "The marketing department, and by extension the rest of the world, believe you are only capable of performing in one area as an artist – which is a hideous limitation on human creativity."

Or to put it another way, maybe we shouldn't snigger when a film star picks up a guitar, or a singer publishes a book (although when Madonna declares her intention to be an author it's very hard to stifle a laugh, but really, titter us not).

Northern Ballet Theatre also understands these imposed limitations. Under the direction of Canadian David Nixon the company has moved away from classical ballet and pushed boundaries with the stories it tells and the style of dancing it adopts.

For his pains, Nixon has found himself on the receiving end of several critical barbs.

The unspoken criticism is that Northern Ballet Theatre should be dancing ballet, and doing so classically. No room here for Nixon's contemporary dance-inspired choreography.

Surely artists, by their very nature, are creative beasts – why should we demand their artistic creations are limited to one particular form?

Perhaps if we pander less to the marketing types and open our minds a little more, artists will have the confidence to explore their creativity in other forms and we will be rewarded with a greater depth of art – maybe a writer curating an art exhibition or a classical dance company incorporating contemporary styles – even a musician giving the world some great paintings.