Friday Nov 08, 2002

"I have come to an unalterable decision—to go and live forever in Polynesia. Then I can end my days in peace and freedom, without thoughts of tomorrow and this eternal struggle against idiots.”

—Paul Gauguin, 1894

As artists, creators from the soul, we empathize with Gauguin’s frustration. He had an intuitive knowing about the merit of his art, plus conviction, yet he experienced mostly words of rejection—crude, clumsy, grotesque, and primitive.

Although not recognized in his lifetime, he worked to the end, and with no salvation in sight. Let’s get our bearings. My motto is this: Nothing is obvious and nothing goes without saying. You have made an unwavering commitment to your art; withdrawing to an island paradise in the South Seas is not on the itinerary—yet.

You have produced a body of work. Secure in your unique vision, you have set a course, a destination called your audience—you may even have tasted a seductive morsel of recognition. The rite of passage from being unknown to public awareness can feel as if you’re trekking hopelessly uphill through an endless minefield of hardships strewn with rejections. Make no mistake. It’s your life; it’s not a dress rehearsal. It’s about survival and endurance for reaching realms as yet uncharted; and you will need extraordinary abilities for the journey.»

Note: If you want to know more about keeping your soul in the world of commerce, read Master Rejection inside the main site gallery.