And what is an artist, anyway? The self-congratulating slacker who looks the part holding a paintbrush? Or the entrepreneur who put his butt on the line, just to make a difference?
Who decides these matters?
Actually, you do. The critics in the papers might object to you owning your own destiny, but they don’t have your back. Nothing you do is real to them (Where is the free wine? I simply must have free wine!!!”), so there’s no reason to return the favor.
Instead, I’d acknowledge that trying to create anything meaningful, art or not, comes with a terrible burden, and at a price. It can be scary and lonely and there’s a reason why most people would much rather have a tony gig in art journalism, with all the equally tony party invites that come with it.
Yeah, whatever. Find out what is real, then accept the pain. That’s how to do it properly.
