Traits of a successful artist

I know, I should be painting, but I am just now getting my normal energy level back after this tenacious bug I seem to have finally killed off. But even when I can't create art, I think about it. Not all of the time, mind you. I went through a brief obsessive phase with the art (as I tend to do when I start anything new) but I think I'm over that now. None the less, I have been thinking about what leads to success in this crazy and whacky world of art into which I've recently entered as an artist.

I don't have the tiniest modicum of understanding as to why some artists become successful and some don't. Of course I'd love to land in the former category but don't have much of a clue how. I see so little logic to who gets shows, who becomes part of the buzz, or on the other hand who ends up with a house chock full of phenomenally good yet unsold work. What I have figured out is that among some of the more successful artists I know, I do find a few commonalities. And yes, I am generalizing here, so please forgive me on that account.

There always seems to be a bit of an ego, mandatory, I think, to not crumble under the weight of constantly having your work judged. Maybe part of that ego is a vision of oneself as destined to be something big. And when an artist sees him or herself in this light, everyone around the artist seems to pretty much buy into it. Which brings me to the next personality trait I see among sucessful artists-charisma.

Charisma-the ability to attract a following. Art affecionados seem to fall in love with not only the art but also the artist. If you buy a piece of art, you really do buy a piece of the artist. Yet charisma in the art world isn't like charisma among politicians or among sports or entertainment celebrities. You don't have to be powerful or beautiful or have superhuman powers in the art world to be one of the popular kids.

In fact, if you are any of those things, you might not be taken seriously as an artist no matter how great your art is. Think of the stereotype of an artist and you've nailed what art fans seem to connect with. Think intense. Misunderstood. Tortured. Self-obsessed. Alone. And throw in some general angst thrown for good measure.

So how wild is it that those kids who were the freaks and geeks and rejects in high school have ended up being the winners in the art world? And I suppose that's a good thing.

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