Transcript:

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Something I see talked about a lot online when artists are trying to find the balance between making art for themselves and making art for others is the idea that if you make art for you, then it will be more authentic and it will connect more to other people and I feel like that's just a way of saying if you make art that you like somehow magically other people will like it to and there's no-- there's no reason that that will necessarily be true. And I think setting it up like that doesn't help an artist escape the idea of seeking external validation because now they are making artwork that they themselves like but they still have the push to make art that they like so that other people will also like it.  Like. You're not getting away from the core tenet of that idea. And so um, I think what is true is that if you make work that you like and that is satisfying to you, you will be happier and it is possible that you will find other people that will also relate to it and will see your authenticity in it and will enjoy that but there's no guarantee that that is going to be more than two or five people. I mean, there's also no guarantee that it's not going to be at you know, 3000 people but  there's no guarantee that just because it is true and authentic to you that everyone is going to like it so I think we need to get out of that mindset. 

 

I don't know what the "correct" mindset is. I don't know what the best mindset is for an artist's mental health, but I don't think that is it.

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