I recently had dinner with a 90-year-old French artist: Jean-Jacques Lebel.
During our conversation, I mentioned Substack and the conversations I’ve had with different people creating on-line profiles.
Then I asked: “What advice would you give to a young artist?”
Lebel smiled and nodded. “Oh, I get asked that question frequently.”
“And what’s your answer?”
“Don’t allow yourself to get trapped in a commercial pipeline. I see artists who keep repeating themselves because they can only sell one kind of painting. They dress like artists, but they act like robots.”
“But how are you supposed to support yourself?”
“That’s a different question. In the beginning, you support yourself any way you can. But keep your art separate from the hunger for money.”
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