Conflict and Compromise.

Life as an artist would be one of the most difficult conditions one could subject themselves to. When an individual decides to pursue some artistic endeavor as his professional trade - be it painting, writing, or singing - presumably that individual enjoys that particular artistic medium. Imagine, for instance, that a person loves to paint. This person loves to paint so much, in fact, that he decides to become a painter. This would seem ideal for that particular person - he loves to paint, and now he will attempt to make a livelihood from it. This will, however, bring out an uncomfortable dilemma that's inherent in almost any artistic form: the painter paints, we can assume, for his own enjoyment; but at the same time, he would like his paintings to appeal to his audience. Every time someone buys one of his paintings, they are, in a sense, affirming what he's doing; they're letting him know that they appreciate his work. Now the painter has two masters to please: he wants his paintings to simply be a vent for his own feelings - a way for him pursue his artistic values; but, at the same time, he craves the external support, encouragement, and affirmation of his audience. From personal experience, I understand the difficulties that this mindset presents. As an artist, one must reconcile his own artistic vision with the desires of his audience. An artist has to realize that it's O.K. to desire that external affirmation from an audience; but also, an artist must do this without compromising his artistic values.