You’re behind the wheel, clutching onto your creative vision for dear life. Ahead of you stands a group of strangers stuck in the past, gathered around an old roadmap as they scrutinise the fork in the road. One path leads to the life of a “Starving Artist,” the other, “Thriving Artist.” They’re pointing, debating, convinced they know which route you should take, as if they’ve ever had to make a living in the modern art world.
Their roadmap is a little confusing, full of contradictory advice and scribbled notes from every onlooker you’ve ever encountered—each one certain they know exactly where you should go. “Maybe try something not so weird,” one suggests. “Stick with what you know!” insists another. If you listen to them all, you’ll never get anywhere but lost.
The truth is, listening to your audience is valuable. Their feedback can be like a roadside sign pointing out interesting detours or hidden gems along the way. But if you give them control of the wheel, you risk veering off the path that truly fulfills you, and suddenly, you’re on the “Starving Artist” road wondering what went wrong.
Finding success as a creator isn’t about ignoring your audience; it’s about staying true to yourself while considering what resonates with others. The trick is to blend your vision with the echoes of your audience’s interests without letting their expectations override your own. It’s at this very fork in the road—between creating for them and creating for you—that the potential for both financial success and authentic artistic fulfillment meets.
So, will you take the path others have mapped out for you? Or will you chart your own course toward thriving as an artist, armed with their feedback but still following your own creative compass? The choice is yours—just remember to keep a steady hand on the wheel.
Kids Book Illustrator Andy C Marshall 