you are not an artist if your goal is to sell or to be supported by an established institution.
i am sure of this.
these options can be a small part of a path to your true goal, but never an end goal by itself.
if you are just trying to sell you are a salesman, if you are trying to be supported by institutions than you are a politician.
what does it mean to be an artist?
i do not know.
i know it is not sales and politics.
nothing wrong with either, they are great, but they are not art.
but as an artist you can use sales and politics just as you can use oil and canvas.
life is to short not to be an artist.
are things so clear? can one be just an artist? i do not know. try and let me know.